Trend Water companies needing infrastructure upgrades to cut water pollution

Summary

The report holds that three things are needed in the short term to reduce water pollution. Infrastructure run by water companies needs upgrading, current rules need enforcing, and flooding made worse by climate change needs managing. It states that farm runoff and untreated sewage discharges are the main causes of UK river pollution, and much of it ends up in the sea. Because flooding causes pollution through sewage discharges, climate change and water quality are closely linked. Air and water pollution also endanger species such as lichens, frogs and otters. The report records that the Environment Act 2021 provides legal backing through specific targets, including for water quality.