Image description: Aerial view of a green combine harvester harvesting a field. Image by Scott Goodwill on Unsplash
The government is facing growing calls to overhaul the laws governing the spreading of treated sewage sludge on agricultural land, following new evidence of widespread public concern regarding food safety and river health. On Tuesday, campaigners delivered a petition to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) demanding an end to the practice of using contaminated waste as fertiliser.
The move coincides with a recent survey commissioned by the advocacy group River Action, which suggests a significant gap between current industry practices and public expectations. The polling found that 92% of the public believe water companies should be legally responsible for ensuring that any sludge spread on farms is free from harmful contaminants.
While treated sewage sludge has long been utilised by the farming industry as a cost-effective alternative to chemical fertilisers, environmentalists warn that the regulatory framework is dangerously outdated. Current legislation dates back to the 1980s, a period before the scientific community fully understood the risks posed by modern pollutants such as microplastics and “forever chemicals,” or PFAS. These substances do not easily break down and can accumulate in the soil, potentially entering the human food chain through crops and livestock.
The petition, which has garnered nearly 70,000 signatures, was presented to officials in London as part of a coordinated effort to force a policy shift. Campaigners argue that while water companies profit from the sale of sludge, the burden of potential environmental degradation and health risks is currently borne by farmers and the public.
The polling data highlighted by River Action indicates that a majority of citizens were unaware of the scale of the practice, but once informed, expressed deep unease. Roughly two-thirds of respondents stated they viewed the current system as a direct risk to the health of the nation’s waterways.
In response to the growing scrutiny, industry representatives have noted that water companies operate within the parameters of existing government permits. However, the Environment Agency has previously acknowledged that the current sludge strategy requires modernisation to address the presence of persistent organic pollutants.
The call for reform is part of a broader national debate regarding the impact of the water industry on the environment. The Office for Environmental Protection recently suggested that a more holistic approach to waste management is required to meet the UK’s long-term biodiversity and water quality targets.
As the government reviews the evidence presented by the petition, ministers are expected to face questions in Parliament regarding whether the upcoming Chemicals Strategy will include specific limits on PFAS concentrations in agricultural waste. For now, the public remains overwhelmingly in favour of stricter monitoring, with 85% of survey respondents supporting mandatory reporting of contamination levels in all sludge products used in food production.