Raw sewage, farming pollution blight 90% of England’s rivers

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: The Observer/The Guardian
14 Aug 2023 12:04

An investigation by The Observer reveals the appalling condition of the nation's protected freshwater areas of exceptional scientific importance.

People on the banks of the River Wharfe in Ilkley (AFP)

According to an Observer investigation, farmed pollution, raw sewage, and water abstraction have negatively impacted more than 90% of the freshwater habitats on England's most valuable rivers.

A study of official inspection records reveals that none of England's 40 or so rivers with protected ecosystems are in generally good condition. These include the Wensum River in Norfolk, the River Eden in Cumbria, and the Rivers Avon in Hampshire.

Only 9.9% of these ecosystems on sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) are in favorable condition, according to recent government statistics. Freshwater habitats, as well as surrounding forests, marsh, and fenland, are all included in the SSSI designation. Comparatively, the condition of protected habitats on beaches and estuaries is favorable in 59.4% of cases. According to The Observer's investigation, freshwater environments are most in danger due to a mixture of pollution from sewage discharges, microplastics, and agricultural runoff, as well as harmful human interventions like dredging.

Only 23 (9%) of the 256 freshwater habitat assessments on the 38 English rivers that are SSSIs were in favorable condition, indicating that they are in a healthy state and are being protected by suitable management.

Charles Watson, founder and chair of the charity River Action believes this "is an utter disgrace." "These should be the most protected river catchments in the country, but there has been a total failure of regulation," he added.

Due to a lack of funding, certain SSSI river segments have not been surveyed since 2010. Volunteers from all around the nation are stepping up to assess the condition of their local rivers and are urging the government to take action in response to what they see as an insufficient inspection system.

The government, according to campaigners, is not treating the issue seriously enough. SSSIs are intended to protect England's most significant natural heritage places, and Natural England, the conservation watchdog, is required by law to do so. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), however, stated that it was unable to "get this specific dataset" when The Observer requested "a list of rivers in England which are sites of special scientific interest and their current status" more than a week ago.

On the River Avon, just two of the 17 river and stream segments designated as protected ecosystems are in good shape. According to a September 2021 evaluation, "water quality fails on several indicators."

At every location where monitoring data is available, River Wensum has an excessive concentration of phosphorus. The rapid growth of some plants and algae blooms that harm habitats can be brought on by an excess of nutrients in the water.

Thirty-five waterways along the River Eden and its tributaries in Cumbria are designated as protected habitats. None of them are in good shape.

According to assessments, there are multiple stretches that "exceed the phosphorus target" and physical obstacles to salmon migration. The Eden Rivers Trust, a nonprofit organization, has been striving to preserve and revitalize the river.

All six of Hampshire's SSSI-designated River Itchen stretches are deemed unfavorable. "Water quality measurements show phosphorus concentrations to be exceeding the targets in most units," according to a Natural England paper.

The River Kennet has four assessed stretches. All four are rated as unfavorable, but with a plan to restore the river's health, they are seen to be recovering.

Low water flow, sewage treatment system discharges, and channel modification such as dredging, according to a June 2022 Natural England assessment, have been long-term problems.

After a campaign against the negative effects of industrial chicken raising and volunteers' river sampling in May, the River Wye's quality was downgraded. All four SSSI units and all seven stretches of the Wye assessed as SSSIs are currently classified as "unfavorable-declining".

The majority of the major SSSI rivers are covered by a collaborative river restoration initiative between the Environment Agency and Natural England, with projects ongoing all throughout the nation. The program covers roughly 30 rivers and their catchments.

According to a report on water bodies released in September 2020 as part of the EU Water Framework Directive, 14% of the rivers in England had high ecological conditions, but none had a good status for chemicals.

No rivers satisfied the requirements since a river must be rated as good in all categories to be considered good overall.

Government target dates for water bodies to achieve good chemical and ecological status range from 2027 to 2063.

Natural England’s chair, Tony Juniper, said many of England's rivers "are under huge pressure, from over-abstraction to chemical pollution and from physical modification, to now, also, the effects of global heating. Many of the pressures causing river health to decline, such as runoff from fields, can arise some distance away from our sites of special scientific interest, but cause damage nonetheless," adding that they have to be "working together with partners to deliver solutions that work for farmers, landowners and industry and the environment on which we all depend."