Defra published an unchanged set of final water targets to be delivered under the Environment Act 2021 from those consulted on at the start of the year.

The final water targets are:

• Water demand: Reduce the use of public water supply in England per head of population by 20% from the 2019/20 baseline reporting year figures, by 2037/38.

Nutrient targets:

• Reduce nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment pollution from agriculture to the water environment by at least 40% by 2037 against a 2018 baseline.
• Reduce phosphorus loadings from treated wastewater by 80% by 2037 against a 2020 baseline.
• Abandoned metal mines: halve the length of rivers polluted by harmful metals from abandoned mines by 2038, against a baseline of around 1,500 km.

Further information can be found here. More details and interim targets will be set out in an Environmental Improvement Plan, due by the end of January 2023.