Green groups launch campaign for robust Water Reform Bill

(by Karma Loveday)

A major coalition of environmental organisations — including The Wildlife Trusts, National Trust, Wildlife & Countryside Link and nearly 40 others — has launched a new public campaign demanding ambitious water clean-up action from government, regulators and industry.

The campaign is backed by Clean water now, a new report setting out the urgent reforms needed in the upcoming Water Reform Bill. This argued that “years of weak enforcement, regulatory failure and political delay have allowed pollution from sewage, agriculture, and toxic chemicals to continue while wildlife has declined, and public trust has eroded”. It called for binding national targets, stronger regulators, and regional water authorities with real powers to plan and enforce action at catchment level.

The coalition has three core demands for the Water Reform Bill:

• “Stop the polluters — clamp down on sewage, restrict intensive agriculture and ban toxic chemical pollution.

• Fix the broken system — stop water companies putting profit before people and nature, with a tough new regulator focused on nature and local communities involved.

• Restore nature — creating new natural habitats along rivers and coastlines, building natural resilience to climate change and bringing wildlife to communities around the country.”

As a first step, campaigners are urging the public to email their MPs, calling them to back strong, enforceable measures to deliver clean water.