Esme Stallard is a writer.
The news is from the BBC.
The image source is Justin Tallis.
The MPs say that the rivers of England are polluted by a "chemical cocktail" of sewage, agriculture and road pollution.
They said that the problem is caused by Microplastics, slurry, car tyre particles, oils and wet wipes.
Our survival and the environment are dependent on high quality water.
140 litres of water a day is the average used by the UK's population.
The water in our homes is safe, but pollution means more intensive treatment is required, which raises household bills.
Water sources are crucial for the survival of wildlife, the natural environment and the food system.
These species are important.
Professor Steve Ormerod is an ecologist at the University of Wales. He says that we need to understand the risks of emerging pollutants. We don't know how big of a problem they're going to be.
The image is from the Getty Creative.
The image caption is.
Microplastics and antibiotics accumulate in water sources in urban areas.
Acid rain and sewage have been successful in improving water quality, but improvements have stopped since 2016
The Environment Agency says that many water companies, farmers and others are not doing enough to protect our waters.
Up to 34% of Scotland's rivers are in good condition.
In Wales, it's 40%, in Northern Ireland it's 33%, and in England it's just 14%.
The south and southwest of England have the highest levels of pollution by water companies.
Access to good quality water sources varies by income group.
The Environment Agency says that people in deprived and heavily populated urban areas were more likely to live within 600m of a river with poor chemical or biological quality.
These communities are more likely to live near sewage treatment works.
Surfers against Sewage provides real time data on water quality to help people assess the quality of water sources near them.
The 25-year Environment Plan was published by the government in order to strengthen rules.
The bill was only approved in November of 2021, after a lengthy battle over how much sewage can be released into rivers. The bill was argued to be too light on water companies.
The quality of water is monitored by the national environment agencies in the UK.
Philip Dunne said the Environmental Audit Committee's inquiry uncovered multiple failures in the monitoring, governance and enforcement of water quality.
The image is from the same source.
The image caption is.
A stream in Hexham is tested for pollutants.
The committee says that the number of water quality samples taken by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales has dropped due to budget cuts.
The National Farming Union believes in improved cooperation. The example of the Poole Harbour Nutrient Management Scheme is that farmers are paid by Wessex Water to reduce the amount of nitrogen in the water.
Professor Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said that collaboration is fine, but will mean nothing without investment. We have to get real. The problem has arisen because of chronic under investment.
Water companies in England and Wales will invest billions of dollars to reduce sewage leaks.
Last year, the programme revealed that they continued to allow sewage into waterways. The system where water companies self-report breeches prompted calls for a move away from it.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
