18 Jun 2026
Image description: The River Thames flowing beneath Tower Bridge. Photo by Pietro De Grandi on Unsplash Researchers at the University of East London (UEL) have launched a study into microplastic pollution in the River Thames to inform environmental policy and water quality decisions. Led by Dr Ria Devereux of UEL’s Sustainability Research Institute, the […]
18 Jun 2026
Image description: Sailboats cutting across the surface of lake Windermere with mountains rising in the background. Photo by JOGphotos on Unsplash Water company United Utilities is proposing building an underground tank to improve the water quality of England’s biggest freshwater lake – Lake Windermere. The company says the facility, which would hold the equivalent […]
04 Jun 2026
Image description: A metal drain cover pictured in the rain. Photo by Ilya Semenov on Unsplash A simple intervention with scaling potential Yorkshire Water and the local environmental group River Holme Connections have launched a pilot to relaunch the national Yellow Fish campaign in the region, installing 43 Yellow Fish discs next to surface water […]
04 Jun 2026
Image description: The pull handle on a lavatory. Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay A hidden enforcement gap Misconnected household pipes, washing machines, dishwashers, sinks or toilets accidentally plumbed into surface water drains rather than the foul sewer, let untreated wastewater flow directly into rivers, streams and the sea. Although discharging foul water into a surface water […]
28 May 2026
Image description: John Deere tractor towing a slurry tanker. Photo by Mirko Fabian on Unsplash Years of river protection effort under review The Welsh government has signalled it will unwind the ban on spreading muck between mid-October and January, a rule introduced specifically to prevent slurry being washed into rivers during winter rainfall. Cabinet Minister for Rural Resilience […]
28 May 2026
Image description: A winding river flows through a forested valley in autumn. The image was taken in Symonds Yat, Ross-on-Wye, UK. Photo by Rob Wingate on Unsplash A rights of nature approach The Wye’s whole catchment has been formally acknowledged as a living ecosystem in what supporters call a UK first. Launched at the Hay-on-Wye literary […]
21 May 2026
Image description: a person emerging from a pool of water, with their back to the camera. Photo by Chris on Unsplash A landmark moment for river swimming The first designated bathing water area on the River Thames in London has officially opened for the bathing season, as one of 13 new monitored swimming sites […]
21 May 2026
Image description: Fungi growing on a tree stump with a waterfall in the background. Image by Christoph Schütz from Pixabay The winners of the sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge have been announced, with 19 pioneering projects set to receive a share of £58 million from Ofwat’s Water Innovation Fund. The Challenge seeks to transform how the water […]
