Photo Credit: River Wensum, Sarah Eglington
Fix water.
Our water system should work for people and wildlife
Across the country, rivers, lakes and wetlands are under huge pressure.
Pollution, drought and flooding are becoming more common. Wildlife is struggling, communities are paying the price, and all too often nobody seems to take responsibility.
It's easy to feel powerless. But there is a solution.
The UK Government is considering a new law to overhaul the water sector. This is our opportunity to fix the water system so that it prioritises people and nature, not profit.
The new Water Bill must include three essential reforms:
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Local control for water- see the campaign update below
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'Re-wire' water companies
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Treat water as critical national infrastructure
Now is the time to treat water as the critical national infrastructure it is. A healthy water system can protect everyone against flooding, drought, wildfire, ill health, food shortages, and help build a more prosperous society.
We can fix the whole system and put people and nature at its heart.
Your MP can help - ask them to take action today.
As the UK Government plans a new Water Bill, your MP can ensure it will secure local control of water, rewire water companies, and help us move to a new, better model of water stewardship.
Please email your MP today. They will push for progress on reforms now if they know you support them. Add your own views in the box about why clean water matters to you and we will include them in your message. You can see your email and make any changes before you send it on the next page.
05.11.26 – campaign update
The Government has announced the formation of eight English Regional Water Councils. These will be led by locally elected representatives with the instruction to tackle all threats to local rivers. This is good news and an encouraging step in the right direction. Thank you to everyone who has pushed the Government to act on this.
This campaign will continue because the announced Regional Water Councils need to deliver maximum ambition for nature and to continue to make the case for the two other vital reforms to fix our water; the rewiring of water companies and the recognition of water as critical national infrastructure.
Local control of water - more details >
The water system is currently managed by too many different bodies, with too few powers. The UK Government is reportedly exploring setting up new Regional Water Authorities (also referred to as Regional Water Bodies) to tackle this. If done right, these could replace this fragmented, distant management with powerful unified bodies focused on restoring local rivers.
These must have maximum powers to tackle damage and restore rivers, through:
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Authority to intervene to stop pollution from intensive farming, chemical manufacture, development and road run-off; to pause on extracting water from rivers where water supplies are not available; and to change drainage systems to keep more water on the land.
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Local political leadership, informed by independent expertise, to ensure that authorities meet their targets and are accountable for doing so at a local level, allowing voters to pass judgement on the success (or otherwise) of local river restoration effort
Rewired water companies - more details >
The current water company model has led to unacceptable pollution, failing nature and people.
Water companies must be given a new primary purpose to contribute towards nature recovery targets.
If private water companies fail to meet this new purpose and undo the damage they have caused, they should be transformed by Government into co-operatives, owned by the public.
Treat water as critical national infrastructure - more details >
Water is not just an environmental issue. It affects housing, farming, food security, economic growth, public health, climate resilience and nature recovery. A clean, healthy water system is everyone’s right. Somewhere along the way we lost sight of this.
A healthy, natural system can protect against flooding, drought, wildfire, and food shortages, and build a healthier and more prosperous society.
It is time to treat water as the critical national infrastructure it is and fix the whole system, with people and nature at its heart.
There are plenty of examples of how restored nature can help with all this! You can see just a few here: https://wtru.st/Evidence-compendium