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The Problem

  • In 2023, 3.6 million hours of sewage were discharged into English rivers.  A total of 115,525 discharges were recorded in Wales.
  • 2,337 stretches of river are impacted by agricultural pollution.
  • Zero rivers have good chemical status, and only 14% of rivers have ‘good’ ecological status.
  • Approximately 75% of UK rivers now pose a ‘serious’ risk to human health. 
  • Around 20% of water supply in England and Wales is lost to leaks (570 million litres a day).
  • Zero reservoirs built since 1992. 
  • £74 billion total water industry debt since privatisation. £83 billion in dividends paid out over the last 34 years.

Agriculture and sewage pollution are the main sources of pollution affecting water bodies in England. © Getty Images

Our Solutions

A healthy river is one that allows nature to thrive while meeting the needs of people. The Charter for Rivers sets out a clear ten point plan for rescuing Britain’s rivers.

 

 

We must stop sewage reaching freshwater and coastal habitats, including by ensuring significant investment in sewage infrastructure to complement increased nature-based solutions and catchment-based approaches.

We must stop agricultural pollutants reaching freshwater and coastal habitats, including by ensuring that retailers and agri-businesses pay farmers fairly for sustainably produced goods to incentivise good environmental practices and that Government regulation and payments support pollution prevention.

Not a single river in England has achieved ‘good chemical status’. We must stop harmful chemical, domestic, industrial and plastic waste, both at source and reaching freshwater and coastal habitats, through legislation and education.

Due to under-investment in water security, over 15 billion litres of water are abstracted daily for public and business use. The water industry must prioritise future investment in water security and significantly reduce river abstraction—especially from unique chalk streams—to ensure the needs of rivers and their wildlife come before other uses.

Two-thirds of UK freshwater species are in decline and 10% are already threatened with extinction. We must allow rivers to act in a more natural way by reconnecting them to their floodplains, removing barriers and physical modifications and establishing a nationwide network of natural river buffers to catch pollution before it reaches the river and provide corridors for wildlife to connect, recover and biodiversity to thrive, incentivised by farm payment schemes.

The planning system has been responsible for encouraging developments that have poured pollution into our rivers. We must reform planning, consenting and permitting systems to ensure all development decisions first consider environmental impacts at a catchment level and promote the use of nature-based solutions in building resilient river systems.

Over the past decade, environmental protection budgets within our regulatory agencies have been slashed by more than 70%. It is essential to ensure that the duties of these agencies and watchdogs prioritise environmental protection. They must be adequately funded and resourced to conduct regular inspections of likely polluters and to actively enforce regulations, imposing meaningful penalties on those who knowingly violate the law.

Our rivers are victim to complex and varying regulations and processes that delay progress, with some major catchments falling between the different regulatory regimes of different devolved nations.

This is Sh*T!

What we have done

River Action handing in the 'Rescue our Rivers' petition to No.10 Downing Street. © River Action

We launched the Charter for Rivers in Westminster, putting our rivers front and centre for political decision-makers. In the run-up to the 2024 general election, we made sure those in power could no longer ignore the urgent needs of our rivers.

Over 106,000 people signed the Rescue Our Rivers petition, demanding urgent government action to restore our rivers. We delivered it to No. 10 Downing Street ahead of the 2024 general election.

Our ‘This Is Shit’ animation—featuring some familiar voices (!)—delivers a hard-hitting exposé on the shocking sewage pollution flooding UK rivers. With striking visuals and bold humour, it takes aim at government inaction and demands urgent reform. This no-holds-barred call to action highlights the need to fix the crisis and protect our rivers.

Our Double the Dosh petition, signed by nearly 65,000 people, exposed devastating cuts to regulators, crippling their ability to tackle pollution. The petition forced the government to commit to more inspectors and better funding for enforcement.

Our campaign put river health on the map as a key voting issue ahead of the 2024 general election. Over 50% of voters said they’d back a party prioritising healthy rivers in its manifesto.

What We Are Doing

As the Welsh and Scottish elections approach in 2026, we’re adapting the Charter for Rivers to make healthy rivers a top priority for voters in both nations, ensuring it reflects the unique needs of Wales and Scotland.

Take Action

If you want to see Britain’s rivers clean and thriving, there are many actions you can take to make a difference.

Rescue Your River

River Action is a small and agile campaigning organisation on a mission to rescue Britain’s rivers from a cocktail of agricultural, sewage and industrial pollution.

River Rescue Kit

Resources

Download River Action’s Charter or Rivers

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