A target for cleaner rivers and lakes is likely to be missed it was revealed yesterday.
In a major speech at Manchester’s Mayfield Depot, it was confirmed England and Wales are not on track to hit a target of having good ecological water by 2027.
The Water Framework Directive became law in 2017, and assesses around 5,000 water bodies including rivers, canals, lakes, estuaries and coastal waters.
Chair of the independent water commission Sir Jon Cunliffe said: “The Water Framework Directive, which is a successor of the legislation that I worked on all those years ago, inherited from the EU, sets a target to achieve good ecological status of water bodies by 2027.
“While this target looks likely to be missed by a large margin in England and Wales, it should not be forgotten how significant this legislation has been in driving improvements to our rivers, lakes and seas.”
The commission was set up by the government to investigate failings in the UK’s water companies, after an increase in sewage dumping in Britain’s rivers and the financial troubles of Thames Water made headlines.
They are seeking further input from the public about how to improve the water sector going forward. In his speech yesterday, Cunliffe said: “I have met no-one who is happy with the current system.”
In a statement made via X, campaign group Surfers Against Sewage said: “The UK’s broken water system has allowed 84,000 sewage discharges to be dumped into our rivers, lakes and seas this year alone. All while customer bills rise, infrastructure crumbles, and shareholders receive big payouts.
“It’s time for transformational reform – dismantle the water industry model of profit for pollution and rebuild a system where customer bills go towards improving public and environmental health, not the health of shareholders’ bank balances.“
Earlier this year Ofwat confirmed that water bills are set to increase by an average of 26% or £123 from 2025 to 2026. This is following major investment in the sector.
David Black, Ofwat chief executive, said: “The £104bn investment we have approved over the next five years will accelerate the delivery of cleaner rivers and seas and help to secure long-term drinking water supplies for customers.”
The water commission is taking evidence now via the website of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural affairs.
It is not clear at this time whether the government or water companies will be legally required to act on recommendations made by the commission.
Main image credit: Tom Jeffs, taken from Wikimedia Commons
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