River Action

“This isn’t a question of if we run out of water - it’s when.” -
James Wallace, CEO of River Action

This is not a scarcity problem. It’s a water security crisis driven by a system that leaks BILLIONS of litres, pollutes rivers & over-abstracts from the environment.👇
www.lbc.co.uk/article/wate...

Essex water companies among those repeatedly warned about risks to supplies A number of water companies in England have been repeatedly warned about risks to their water supplies, documents from regulators and the government…

“Sleepwalking towards running out of water” ~ James Wallace @riveractionuk.bsky.social

In documents uncovered by Watershed, regulators warn companies they must act now to reduce the amount of water they're pumping, fix leaks + address chemical pollution:

share.google/1eucAo5EPhP9...

This consultation follows our petition with @greenpeaceuk.bsky.social, backed by 62,000 people.

Rules from 1989 have failed to stop #toxic chemicals & microplastics being spread on farmland.

Farmers aren’t to blame. Water companies MUST be held accountable.

consult.defra.gov.uk/the-sewage-s...

🌧️ A rainy country running out of water? Absurd - and very real.

Decades of under-investment & profit-first water companies have left our system dangerously fragile.

The public has paid the bills through rising costs. Now companies must invest - before taps, food security &our economy run dry.

BREAKING! Wow. Citizen scientists across the Wye catchment have now taken over 50,000 samples and tested them for water quality. What a phenomenal show of people power.

Read all about it: friendsoftheriverwye.org.uk/news/wye-cit...

💷 £10 million upgrade. Zero improvement.😡

Last week, #citizenscientist Angela Jones recorded the highest pollution levels ever at the Usk sewage treatment works.👇

THIS is why citizen science matters. An “upgrade” that entrenches pollution is NOT progress.

#EndSewagePollution #rescuebritainsrivers

Supersized illegal waste dumps hidden across English countryside A BBC investigation uncovers how criminals are operating huge illegal rubbish tips across the country.

Hundreds of illegal waste dumps - including 11 vast “super sites” - are threatening England’s rivers, wildlife and communities downstream.

Why is the Environment Agency still refusing to publicly explain what action it’s taking?? 🔽

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Meet Christian Fuller, River Action’s new Legal Coordinator - River Action UK Q1. Tell us about yourself Hi, I’m Christian, and I’ve recently joined River Action as Legal Coordinator. I grew up in Conwy, where the Eryri National Park was a constant part of my life. Those early ...

🗣️ “A key part of the role is helping connect legal expertise with grassroots action.”

Please join us in welcoming Christian Fuller, River Action’s new Legal Coordinator. ⚖️

Find out more about his work to #RescueBritainsRivers in the blog below - riveractionuk.com/news/meet-ch...

South East Water was warned of problems years before taps ran dry Regulators repeatedly told the company it did not have enough water to meet demand in two areas that lost their supply this month, documents reveal

Customers left without water, rivers remain polluted, and water company Executives walk away with 💸💸 bonuses.

THIS is the consequence of a system that places profit ahead of people and nature. 😡 🔽 @watershed-i.bsky.social

www.thetimes.com/uk/environme....

Factory farming of chickens killed the River Wye. Fact, not an exaggeration. Tonnes of chicken poo from millions of unfortunate chickens polluted the river, collapsed ecosystems and wiped out wildlife.
 
Now the same industry wants to do the same thing to Loch Ryan.

buff.ly/2Hqkr8f

Photo of Pete Devery, Friends of the River Pang, sampling water by the Berkshire chalk stream, made famous by Wind in the Willows, "The proof will be in the river. Do the rivers around the country improve? That's the end result. Doesn't matter what you call that regulator. It doesn't matter how many regulators there are. If the difference isn't made in the rivers, they will have failed."

Interesting developments in water white paper: we know from NI, sewage treatment plants who meet targets during announced inspections, often fail when inspections are unannounced, so a promising move. As @petedevery.bsky.social says "the proof will be in the rivers".

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
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The Government’s Water White Paper: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - River Action UK This Government’s focus on reforming the water sector is welcome and timely. Recent failings by South East Water and Thames Water have demonstrated that water companies are defective on multiple front...

The time for change is now. We need a government that is bold in ambition and willing to fulfil its election promise to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

👉 READ MORE: riveractionuk.com/news/the-gov...

#rescuebritainsrivers

2/3. We need to see:

1️⃣ A regulator with real enforcement powers
2️⃣ Water companies legally required to put the public first
3️⃣ A long-term water strategy for sewage, supply & water quality
4️⃣ An independent authority to deliver the regional water planning function
5️⃣ Greater ambition on agri-pollution

1/3. 🚨BREAKING🚨 The government has finally published its Water Sector Reform White Paper.

But the real question is: 👇
Will it actually fix England’s broken water system?

To put people and nature first, the rules must change... 🧵

“We’ve seen for decades this privatisation experiment fail. Of course, we do need private money, but it needs to be done the right way. We need to look at things like public benefit & ownership models to make sure the public & the environment are put first.”

- James Wallace, CEO, River Action UK,

Water companies to face regular MOT-style checks in industry shake-up The government says the industry will have

🚨Government water reforms do not go far enough.🚨

The Water White Paper finally admits the scale of the freshwater emergency - but it still falls short of the urgent, radical action our rivers desperately need...

READ MORE: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"As the Government prepares its White Paper on water reform, it must prove it is serious about ending decades of pollution for profit."

- James Wallace, CEO of River Action, on BBC Radio 4 this morning. 🔽 #WhitePaper #rescuebritainsrivers

⚠️The River Wye, one of the UK’s most iconic and protected rivers, is on the brink of ecological collapse.

We need action NOW. The Govt must ensure the upcoming White Paper tackles agri-pollution at its source and delivers real protection for the Wye, before it's too late.
@savethewye.bsky.social

Government’s wildlife targets will be missed in England, watchdog says Seven out of 10 targets have little likelihood of being met by 2030, Office for Environmental Protection says

Utterly damning report from Office for Environmental Protection - the Govt’s not only missing its targets to protect wildlife in England, it’s also failing on *almost all* environmental measures - and in some cases actively destroying the natural world through its obsession with growth at all costs

❌ The public has had enough of Thames Water

The govt must NOT allow Thames Water to evade the laws designed to protect our rivers. It's time that they step in, place the company into Special Administration & ensure it is run for public benefit - not private gain.

www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

'There's a public health crisis but sloth Starmer is so slow to do anything' The Government failed to produce its plans for the future of water by a Christmas target and Labour is accused of lower energy than a sloth.

🚨NEWS: The Government failed to produce its plans for the future of water by a Christmas target and Labour is accused of “lower energy than a sloth.”

READ MORE: 🔽 @dailyexpressnews.bsky.social

#rescuebritainsrivers

www.express.co.uk/news/politic...

Construction Site Pollution: The Silent Threat Smothering Our Rivers - River Action UK By Simon Hunter, CEO – Bristol Avon Rivers Trust A Hidden Crisis With Very Visible Harm If you’ve ever stood beside a river and watched it flow clear and vibrant, you’ll know the feeling of peace and ...

Construction Site Pollution: A Hidden Crisis With Very Visible Harm

✍️ Brilliantly written by Simon Hunter, CEO of Bristol Avon Rivers Trust, our latest blog exposes pollution from construction sites - the silent killer of river health.

▶️ READ MORE: riveractionuk.com/news/constru...

2/2. Ministers must now act decisively. With the Government due to publish its long-awaited report on reforming the water sector, we will be watching closely to see whether they deliver the measures needed to #rescuebritainsrivers & end pollution for profit. ❌ 💷 💩

www.theoep.org.uk/news/oep-con...

🚨 BREAKING: Today, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) confirmed possible failures by DEFRA and the Environment Agency to comply with the laws meant to protect our rivers, lakes, and seas.. 1/2 🧵

Current & historic landfills across the UK & Europe are sited near rivers, on coasts, in flood risk zones, explains @profkatespencer.bsky.social - climate change means extreme rainfall events & flooding are happening more often, increasing risk of pollutants entering waterways.

🧵 1/3

2/2. Water companies and chemical producers must be held responsible - and the Government must act.

👉 Sign the petition calling for urgent action to stop toxic sewage sludge being spread on our farmland - and make polluters pay to clean up their own mess:

action.greenpeace.org.uk/toxic-sewage...

Labour urged to stop farmers spreading ‘sludge’ on fields Using sewage byproducts to fertilise soil risks harmful chemicals getting into food chain

⚠️ TOXIC SLUDGE: what’s really being spread on UK farmland

Millions of tonnes of “fertiliser” made from sewage sludge are spread on UK fields every year. This #toxicsludge can contain microplastics & “forever chemicals”, contaminating soil & polluting rivers. 1/2🧵
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/202...

Meet Ellie Roxburgh, River Action’s new Policy and Advocacy Manager - River Action UK Q1. Tell us about yourself My name is Ellie, and I am the new Policy and Advocacy Manager at River Action! I am really excited to join such a dynamic and impactful organisation at such a critical time...

✨ We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ellie Roxburgh as Policy and Advocacy Manager at River Action!

Find out more about Ellie, and the role she will play in our mission #RescueBritainsRivers, in our latest blog: riveractionuk.com/news/meet-el...

Row continues over how to protect ailing river Wye PROTECTING the river Wye continues to be a source of frustration and anger about how the Environment Agency is responding to the issue.

We need a Water Protection Zone for the River Wye. The regulators have failed to produce a plan which will rescue the river. We believe the river needs urgent attention – the equivalent of special measures 👇
www.herefordtimes.com/news/2572518...

🎄 Merry Christmas from all of us at River Action 🎄

A huge thank you to everyone who has stood up for our rivers in 2025.✨

We hope you’re able to enjoy some rest, fresh air and time with loved ones over the festive period - and maybe even a peaceful winter walk by a river.💙