05 Dec 2023

A new paper from Jacobs focuses on the UK water sector’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) challenge. It Outlines the environmental, climate and affordability trilemma currently faced by the U.K. water sector Identifies areas of change that can play a part in the solution, including funding opportunities, nature-based solutions and data- and technology-enabled solutions. Discusses the […]

26 Sep 2023

Coastal waters and estuaries have been included in the government’s plan to tackle sewage pollution, in a win for campaigners who threatened legal action, ENDSreport has said. The UK Government issued a press release that stated: Government expands plan to tackle storm overflows, including all coastal and estuary sites Marine protected areas and shellfish water […]

13 Sep 2023

The government’s environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), has identified possible failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency and Ofwat in relation to the regulation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The failures relate to a possible misinterpretation of the law, which […]

09 May 2023

The UK government is planning to consult on expanding its targets to tackle sewage even further to cover all coasts, estuaries and marine protected sites, Defra has confirmed. The Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, published in August 2022, set out stringent targets to protect people and the environment, backed up by £56 billion capital investment – […]

23 Feb 2023

As public awareness of environmental issues grows, the spotlight is firmly on water quality. Water companies across the UK and Europe are under increasing pressure to alleviate their environmental impact and protect vital rivers, streams and watercourses. However, with this increased scrutiny on the water sector and its approach to pollution management, it is crucial […]

15 Sep 2022

On his first day in office the newly appointed environment secretary ordered water company chief executives to submit plans to make “significant improvements” to reduce sewage discharged into waterways within two weeks. Ranil Jayawardena said his message to sector heads had been that the current approach is “not good enough”. Water companies given two week […]

09 Dec 2021

This post is by Daniel Johns, head of public affairs at Anglian Water The Green Alliance ‘I want to congratulate Philip Dunne MP and the Duke of Wellington, and all their supporters in parliament and far beyond, for making headline news of poor river health, and for securing significant changes to the Environment Act during […]

10 Nov 2021

Environment Bill storm overflows amendment Defra ‘There has been widespread coverage including in BBC News Online, the Independent the Guardian, the Express, the Sun, the Daily Mirror and the Press Association of the passing of the government’s amendment to the Environment Bill on storm overflows in the House of Commons yesterday evening. The new amendment strengthens the Environment Bill to ensure […]