09 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Darren Tolley   Severn Trent Water has been found in breach of its wastewater obligations, though Ofwat has decided against a financial penalty. The regulator concluded the company failed in its duties to provide drainage and manage the contents of its sewers, and had historically breached licence requirements to maintain adequate processes and systems. […]

09 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Steve Payne   More than half a million people, nationally important infrastructure and the UK’s largest port complex face increasing tidal flood risk across the Humber unless a long-term, estuary-wide approach to adaptation is delivered. Understanding Tidal Risk, published on 7 July, is the shared evidence base of the Humber 2100+ partnership, which […]

09 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Swanky Fella   Drinking water quality in England remained exceptionally high in 2025, even as ageing infrastructure and deteriorating asset health emerged as a threat to the long-term resilience of supplies. The Drinking Water Inspectorate’s Chief Inspector’s Annual Report found that 99.97 per cent of more than 3.5 million regulatory tests met the required […]

09 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Matt Boyle   The campaigner who married the River Avon in protest at sewage pollution is now leading a push to grant the river legal rights. Meg Avon, who took the river’s name after a Bristol ceremony on 17 June 2023, is working with the We Are Avon campaign and the Conham Bathing […]

09 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Ted Balmer   Water companies that break environmental rules now face faster financial penalties of up to £500,000, under changes that strengthen the Environment Agency’s enforcement powers. The reforms let the regulator use the lower civil standard of proof for minor and moderate offending, rather than the criminal standard that previously made many […]

07 Jul 2026

The Expression of Interest (EOI) process for the 2026/27 Championing Coastal Coordination (3Cs) funding round is now open Due to a reduced funding allocation and shorter delivery timescales this year, we will be running a streamlined EOI process. Priority will be given to projects that adopt a source-to-sea approach, recognising the interconnected nature of catchments, […]

06 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Zdeněk Macháček   Seaweed farming could create jobs and low-carbon products across the UK, but the sector will not grow without public trust, according to a new report from the Scottish Association for Marine Science in Oban. The report, Seaweed farming with and for our coastal communities, sets out six recommendations for policymakers and […]

06 Jul 2026

Photo credit: Nick Russill   Hundreds of jellyfish washed ashore at Summerleaze Beach in Bude, Cornwall, on 2 July, drawing crowds to a striking purple carpet of stranded animals beside the town’s sea pool wall. Scientists at Plymouth Marine Laboratory, who documented the stranding, said the mound was made up mostly of moon jellyfish, alongside blue […]