‘Bring our waterways back from brink’

RIVERS, wetlands and waters around the UK are being damaged by water pollution, putting habitats and wildlife at risk, a report warns.

The report from a partnership of environmental charities including the RSPB, the Rivers Trust and the National Trust warns water bodies are being harmed by agricultural waste, raw sewage and pollution from abandoned mines.

In England, only 14 per cent of rivers meet standards for good ecological status, less than half make the grade in Wales and only 31 per cent of water bodies in Northern Ireland are classified as good or high quality.

Protected sites are among the areas hit by poor water quality, harming key wildlife such as otters, the swallow-tail butterfly and salmon which depend on them.

The report calls for better monitoring and sufficient resources for government agencies to enforce the rules on pollution. It also demands a transition to more nature-friendly, sustainable farming practices, legally binding targets for wildlife and freshwater, and moves to stop untreated sewage reaching rivers.

RSPB deputy director of policy Jenna Hegarty said: “It is disturbing how it has become so normal for our waterways to be polluted and contaminated, and that many people do not realise there is something wrong.

“Governments must demonstrate leadership and act with urgency and ambition to bring our waterways back from the brink of collapse and revive our world.”