04 Nov 2025
Photo by Ben Stern A milestone in marine restoration has been achieved after 50,000 native oysters were deployed into the Daugleddau Estuary in Pembrokeshire as part of a large-scale effort to rebuild natural oyster reefs. The oysters are expected to improve water quality, capture carbon and create habitats for marine life. Foundational to ecosystem health Bridget […]
31 Jul 2025
Farmers in England will get new payments for cleaning up the waterways near their land, the environment secretary has said, as reported in the Guardian. Speaking at the National Farmers’ Union water summit at Beeston Hall farm in West Yorkshire, Steve Reed said his department would be launching changes to the sustainable farming incentive (SFI) […]
01 Jul 2025
New detailed assessments of marine protected areas (MPA) in Wales show which habitats and species are doing well in Welsh waters, but highlight the need for more action to improve habitat, biodiversity and water quality, according to Natural Resources Wales (NRW). A total of 85 features designated across 17 marine special areas of […]
24 Apr 2025
Two new Bills, introduced as Private Members Bills, both with potentially significant impacts for water companies, are due to have their Second readings in Parliament on Friday 25 April 2025. Water Briefing reported that the Chalk Streams (Protection) Bill had its First reading in Parliament on 21 October 2024. The Bill addresses the creation of a […]
22 Jan 2025
A new analysis of 625 studies from 63 countries shows that the global expansion of built-up areas has fundamentally degraded water quality across the globe and suggests increases in forest cover can help reduce water pollution risks. Photo credit: Adam Sondel In recent decades the world’s landscapes have experienced profound changes, mainly due […]
14 Jan 2025
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) have launched an investigation into Defra in relation to a suspected failure to take the necessary measures to achieve or maintain Good Environmental Status (GES) of marine waters by the statutory deadline. Under the Marine Strategy Regulations 2010, the statutory deadline for GES to be achieved was 31 December […]
08 Jan 2025
Citizen science testing of river water quality will expand this year in an attempt to make the data part of official monitoring of waterways, the head of an independent environmental research group has said. Photo credit: Zowie Green The use of ordinary people across the country to test river water quality for pollutants […]
31 Dec 2024
The Drinking Water Inspectorate, part of Defra, has published the second 3-yearly report on the quality of drinking water supplies in England, covering 2020 to 2022. It summarises the quality of public supplies and the largest private supplies serving more than 5,000 consumers or 1,000 cubic metres (m3) a day. The Drinking Water Inspectorate regulates […]
