06 Feb 2025
A new research article in Nature highlights “widespread tactics of disinformation, greenwashing and manufacturing doubt…” used by water companies. It argues that “the financial exploitation of water resources in England, alongside long-term degradation of infrastructure and ineffective regulation, raises globally important issues around water security, ethics and environmental stewardship. Much greater scrutiny of both industry […]
08 Jan 2025
Campaign group 38 Degrees is encouraging people to share their views on sewage by participating in a consultation that was covered in this newsletter before Christmas and relates to the Public Bill Committee, which has asked for written evidence on the Water (Special Measures) Bill by Thursday 16 January. Photo credit: Karen Laårk Boshoff […]
31 Dec 2024
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has concluded that there have been failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat following an investigation into the regulation of network combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The OEP has sent each of the public authorities […]
11 Dec 2024
The BBC reports that water companies are planning to build a pipeline network to move treated sewage away from conservation areas and into rivers, lakes and seas which do not have the same legal protection. Photo credit: Gavin Young The work will be funded by customers and the water regulator, Ofwat, has provisionally […]
06 Nov 2024
A report by sustainability think tank the Institute for European Environmental Policy UK (IEEP UK) looks at the implications of diverging wastewater policy between the UK and the EU. Photo credit: Joseph Russo EU law concerning collection and treatment of wastewater (sewage) has been dominated by the 1991 Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. […]
23 Oct 2024
A water company repeatedly dumped millions of litres of raw sewage illegally into one of England’s most famous lakes over a three-year period, the BBC can reveal. More than 140 million litres of waste were pumped into Windermere between 2021 and 2023 at times when it was not permitted, our analysis shows, and United Utilities […]
22 Oct 2024
Research conducted by the Marine Conservation Society and the University of Portsmouth has revealed that sewage discharges are a significant source of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) pollution in marine environments. PFAS also known as ‘forever chemicals’ are a complex group of nearly 15,000 substances used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s. […]
28 Aug 2024
The March for Clean Water will be held in London on 26 October to press the government to do more to clean up Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas. Activist Feargal Sharkey is heading up the protest, which has been organised by River Action and backed by a growing number of environmental, sports and community groups. […]
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