Troubled Waters
Why poor water quality is threatening some of our best places for nature and how we can fix it
Troubled Waters is a project that seeks to understand how people value and interact with freshwater habitats, demonstrate the range of water quality issues facing our best places for nature, while identifying the solutions required to deliver a clean and healthy freshwater environment.
Our blue planet
Despite 71% of the world’s surface being covered by water, less than 2.5% of the world’s water exists as accessible freshwater in our rivers, lakes, and groundwater. But these freshwater systems are home to over one third of all vertebrate species and are essential to supporting life on earth through drinking water supply, food production, photosynthesis and sanitation.
A treasured resource
Blue spaces provide a vital space to engage with nature, exercise and socialise and are often rich in cultural and historical value. A clean, healthy and thriving freshwater environment also benefits the economy through tourism, recreation, flood management, carbon storage and much more.
And people think so too!
Market research, commissioned by the Troubled Waters project through YouGov, investigated how people value and use freshwater ecosystems. We surveyed nearly 2,000 people from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and this is what we found.
In the past year, 78% of people have visited a freshwater habitat for a range of different reasons, from fishing, swimming, wildlife watching to playing pooh sticks!
People value freshwater habitats
We found that people have a deep connection with our freshwater ecosystems: that they represent an important part of our culture, heritage and identify of place.
88% of people agree that freshwater systems are a national treasure.
For 73% of people, having access to freshwater habitats for recreation is important to them.
91% agree that the UK’s rivers, lakes and streams should be kept beautiful for future generations to enjoy.
Water for Wildlife
Many have noticed the wildlife found on their waterways, demonstrating the importance of freshwater for an array of wildlife.
Four-spotted chaser dragonfly Libellula quadrimaculata
And they want more
Most people would like to see more nature rich blue spaces.
Common kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Pressures facing the freshwater environment
People are concerned about a range of pressures facing the freshwater environment including climate change, plastic pollution, sewage and agriculture.
81% agree that people in the UK take the management and care of freshwater habitats for granted.
72% agree that they are concerned about the impact of climate change and extreme weather on our freshwater habitats.
83% agree that they are concerned by the impact of sewage pollution.
With 75% agreeing that they are concerned by the impact of agricultural pollution.
The public believe the biggest threats facing the freshwater environment to be:
Condition of and protection for the UK’s freshwater environment
We found a mix of opinions regarding the current state of the UK’s freshwater environment and the amount of protection it receives
Rivers, streams and lakes are in good condition
43% agree
37% disagree
20% don’t know
There are already strict rules in place to protect against freshwater pollution
45% agree
30% disagree
26% don’t know
Who’s responsible for a clean and healthy freshwater environment?
A significant proportion of people feel there is little that they can do personally to drive improvements in the freshwater environment where they live. A large majority feel that it is the responsibility of local government and businesses to protect our waterways and reduce pollution.
55% believe that there is little they can do to drive improvements in water quality where they live
88% think that water companies need to take greater responsibility to reduce pollution
74% think it is the local authority’s responsibility to ensure that freshwater ecosystems are free from pollution
However, an encouraging 41% of people have taken individual actions aimed at improving water quality, such as reporting pollution events (4%), changing personal habitats (18%), volunteering (5%) and signing petitions (11%).
What does this tell us?
However, this is coupled with genuine concerns about the pressures that they face. There are varying views on the current state of the UK’s freshwater environment, the level of protection afforded to it and who’s responsibility it is to ensure freshwater habitats are clean, healthy and thriving.
How does this compare with the situation at present? How healthy is our freshwater environment, how well is it protected and are we doing all we can to ensure that these treasured habitats will be protected for the benefit of everyone?
In the red zone: water quality in England Wales and Northern Ireland
Unfortunately, In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, freshwater is in a perilous state.
In England and Wales, only 14% and 46% of rivers respectively meet the standards for good ecological status, and in Northern Ireland, only 31% of waterbodies are classified as good or high quality.
The reasons behind our water quality problems
There are multiple drivers behind freshwater pollution including:
- Sewage and storm overflows which results in untreated sewage finding its way into the water environment
- Excess nutrients from agricultural run-off which upsets the balance of freshwater ecosystems through nutrient enrichment
- Pesticides which can threaten nature and contaminate drinking water resulting in significant costs
- Chemical pollution from mines causes pollutants such as heavy metals to be washed into water courses
Several additional pollutants are emerging as threats to our freshwater systems, however the extent and impacts of their presence in our freshwater is largely understudied. This includes:
- Plastic pollution in freshwater systems
- Pharmaceutical residues
Although there are a variety of reasons that water bodies are in poor condition, in the UK agricultural and wastewater pollution are impacting water quality at the largest scale
For more information about these threats, check out the full Troubled Waters report.
How does poor water quality impact people and nature?
Poor water quality can result in devastating impacts for nature. It results in large scale changes to freshwater ecosystems, creating conditions in which only a handful of plants and organisms can survive, leading to a loss of diversity which impacts the entire food chain.
Individual pollution incidents can be devastating, resulting in environmental catastrophe, such as fish kills as large amounts of pollutants are released into the water in a single event.
Pollution can also impact the economy, making waterbodies less attractive to visit, can make them dangerous to swim and bathe in and result in significant costs to fix.
The scourge of pollution: Is anywhere safe?
Across the UK, there are a variety of legal designations that areas can receive with the goal of protecting key habitats and species. These include designations of International, European and National importance.
These designations seek to protect iconic species such as otter, salmon, bitterns, a host of plants and invertebrates and rare habitats such as fens and meadows.
But despite these protections, poor water quality is undermining their capability to safeguard many of the threatened species and habitats they aim to protect.
- Nearly 90% of units of nationally important rivers are in unfavourable condition in England.
- In Wales, latest figures show 60% of freshwater biodiversity features designated under national or European importance are in unfavourable condition.
- In Northern Ireland 36% of nationally important site features are in unfavourable condition.
Why is this happening?
There are multiple pressures causing devastating impacts to water quality in some of our best sites for nature. We’ve been taking a deep dive across the UK to find out some of the main reasons why.
Ant Broads and Marshes
Key issue: fens at threat from nutrient enrichment and abstraction
Leighton Moss
Key issue: failure to reduce diffuse water pollution reaching protected wetland.
Poole Harbour
Key issue: excessive nutrients from catchment causing poor coastal water quality
River Teifi and Cardigan Bay
Key issue: impacts of slurry and sedimentation
The River Wye
Key issue: historic issue with diffuse agricultural pollution at a catchment scale
Upper Lough Erne
Key issue: complex lake system with ongoing poor water quality
West Sedgemoor
Key issue: nationally significant wetland species under threat from high phosphorous levels
Ant Broads and Marshes
Key issue: fens at threat from nutrient enrichment and abstraction
Threat to nature: The loss of valuable fen habitats forever threatening invertebrates, plant life, birds and the swallow-tail butterfly, a species now restricted to the Norfolk Broads
The Ant Broads and Marshes SSSI, in Norfolk and Suffolk, were designated partly due to being considered as one the best examples of unpolluted valley fen in Western Europe. It forms part of The Broads Special Area of Conservation (SAC), which collectively support over a quarter of the UK's rarest species. The site supports a variety of species including the fen orchid, the swallowtail butterfly, and birds such as the bittern and marsh harrier.
Nutrient enrichment and water abstraction pressures have since resulted in reduction of water quality and water levels, and increased acidity. This has caused negative changes in biodiversity. Targets for the phosphate levels in the SAC lakes for the Broads are over two-thirds lower than the levels Anglian Water are permitted to discharge post-sewage treatment.
The Diffuse Water Pollution Plan for the area clearly demonstrated that sewage treatment works were the dominant source of phosphate, and that the SSSI is impacted by these high levels of phosphate. Across the SSSI, the fate of calcareous fen is particularly vulnerable, as once phosphate gets into fen, it binds to peat soils and is extremely hard to remove.
Case study can be viewed here .
Leighton Moss
Key issue: failure to reduce diffuse water pollution reaching protected wetland.
Threat to nature: De-oxygenated water resulting in reduction in frogs, toads and eels, and with potential knock-on effects for large species such as bittern
Containing the largest reedbed in north-west England, Leighton Moss is a SSSI, SPA and Ramsar site hosting breeding bittern and marsh harrier, alongside otter, bearded tit, reed warbler, water rail and spotted crake.
Natural England states that despite water quality being critical for the species dependent on wetland habitats, the site is threatened by diffuse pollution from septic tanks and agriculture in the surrounding catchment. At least 230 properties in the Leighton Moss catchment are not connected to mains sewerage facilities and are likely reliant on septic tanks. Of these properties, 30 are of moderate or high risk to SSSI water quality, as springs arising within Leighton Moss could be contaminated septic tank effluent.
The latest SSSI assessments for site condition were rated ‘Unfavourable – recovering’ in 2010, which both reference a Diffuse Water Pollution Plan to help remedy water pollution and excessive siltation issues. Actions ongoing under this Plan have not yet been evaluated, or if evaluated have not been made publicly available, however site level water quality monitoring by the RSPB strongly suggests the existing initiatives have not resulted in sustained reduction in diffuse water pollution reaching Leighton Moss.
Case study can be viewed here .
Poole Harbour
Key issue: excessive nutrients from catchment causing poor coastal water quality
Threats to nature: Declines in curlew, shelduck, redshank as thick algal mats limit feeding
Poole Harbour hosts a number of designations including SSSI, Ramsar and SPA largely due to the presence of intertidal marsh, mudflats, saltmarsh and reed habitats . The area supports internationally significant populations of waterbirds and roosting and habitat for a variety of species including red-breasted merganser, goldeneye and the dark-bellied brent goose.
Of the 55 SSSI units in Poole Harbour, 62.78% designated hectares are in ‘Unfavourable – declining’ condition, largely due to water pollution. Longstanding efforts by regulators and government conservation agencies to define strategies for reducing nitrate and phosphate discharges from sewage treatment works and agriculture, have resulted in the area trialing voluntary nutrient reduction mechanism .
This voluntary scheme is in lieu of a Water Protection Zone being imposed across the catchment, which would compel farmers to undertake closely monitored improvements to their nutrient use and implement pollution prevention plans.
Case study can be viewed here .
River Teifi and Cardigan Bay
Key issue: impacts of slurry and sedimentation
Threats to nature: Rare plant communities, including floating water plantain and water crowfoot, threatened by excess nutrients
The River Teifi is one of the longest rivers in Wales and one of the most productive salmon and sea trout fisheries in the country. It is a designated SSSI for a range of river types and associated habitats and designated SAC for many species including the three UK lamprey species, bullhead, otter, Atlantic salmon, and floating water plantain, water crowfoot communities and for upland lake species, which require low nutrient levels.
The latest WFD assessment from 2018 indicated that only 22% of waterbodies in the catchment are classified as ‘good’, with the remaining being ‘moderate’ or ‘poor’. The assessment suggests that current failures are largely the result of pollution from abandoned mines and agricultural and rural land management. The Core Management Plan states that the most significant sources of diffuse pollution and siltation are from agriculture, due to fertiliser, manure, and silage run-off, soil erosion from ploughed land, compaction and nutrient inputs due to unfettered livestock access to watercourses.
Case study can be viewed here .
The River Wye
Key issue: historic issue with diffuse agricultural pollution at a catchment scale
Threat to nature: Algal blooms caused by nutrient enrichment are crowding out aquatic vegetation, which are essential in supporting healthy fish populations.
Rich in biodiversity, popular for recreation, and covering a catchment of over 400,000 hectares. Part of the river is designated as a SSSI to recognise the role of the area as an important wildlife corridor, essential migration route and key breeding area for many nationally important species including otter, salmon, twaite shad, and backwater water crowfoot beds. The Wye also benefits from Special Area of Conservation (SAC) status , with targets focused on reducing damagingly high phosphorous levels.
Despite these protections, recent data from Natural Resources Wales , exposed the widespread failure to control phosphorus levels, with 28 out of 45 monitored areas failing to meet concentration targets. Diffuse agricultural pollution, is widely acknowledged as a key driver of this failure , particularly the mass expansion and approval given to unsustainable numbers of intensive poultry units in recent years.
Farms in the UK rear 850 million chickens for meat every year and 20 million of these chickens are estimated to be in the Wye catchment.
Case study can be viewed here .
Upper Lough Erne
Key issue: complex lake system with ongoing poor water quality
Threats to nature: Unique aquatic plant life risks being lost forever
The Upper Lough Erne is situated in the basin of the River Erne in Northern Ireland and includes a complex system of interconnected smaller satellite lakes. The Upper Lough Erne has a number of protections including ASSIs, SPA and SAC, and Ramsar to support a variety of wildlife and habitats including whooper swans, great crested grebe, snipe, otter, and Western acidic oak woodland. It is a complex wetland of rivers and connected lakes, now rare in the UK, and supports a rich aquatic plant community.
76% of surface water bodies in the Upper Lough Erne have been classified as less than good, largely due to nutrient enrichment from connected rivers. Several academic studies show that the system has been increasingly affected by eutrophication since the 1950s, with the smaller lakes having higher nutrient loading than the larger lakes.
This study also found that as eutrophication increased, the diversity of aquatic plants decreased, and this was more pronounced in the smaller isolated lakes threatening unique species assemblages. A lack of access to data and reporting means we do not know either the timeline or results of monitoring of the relevant ASSIs.
Case study can be viewed here .
West Sedgemoor
Key issue: nationally significant wetland species under threat from high phosphorous levels
Threat to nature: Unique wetland grasslands being dominated by more competitive species due to nutrient enrichment, with impacts throughout the food chain
West Sedgemoor is a wetland meadow habitat located in the Somerset Levels and Moors and is a designated SSSI, SPA and Ramsar site. The site hosts nationally significant numbers of waterbirds and is notable for its populations of breeding waders in the summer and wildfowl in the winter, including snipe, lapwing, redshank, Bewick’s swan and curlew.
The overall condition across all Somerset Levels and Moors SSSIs is ‘ Unfavourable Declining’ due to evidence of failing water quality, most notably high phosphate levels. Phosphate levels at West Sedgemoor, have been rated ‘poor’ , for almost every year in the last decade. Natural England have recognised agricultural runoff and water company discharges as the key driver of this pollution . Historically low nutrient conditions in mainly unimproved grassland have maintained nationally rare and threatened species-rich meadows.
However continued excessive nutrients would likely reduce sward diversity on the sites, with unknown knock-on impacts on supported invertebrates, amphibians, birds and mammals, and the aquatic plant communities within the unique ditches for which the Somerset Levels are renowned.
Case study can be viewed here .
How can we turn the tide around?
The Troubled Waters project demonstrates the importance of the freshwater environment to people and nature, but that it faces several significant threats. Even in our protected areas, poor water quality is having a devastating impact, putting highly threatened species and habitats at further risk.
We must act now to ensure that generations to come can marvel in the joys that our freshwater habitats can provide, from the brilliant sight of otters playing in our streams, the vibrant blue flash of flying kingfishers, and the epic migration of the Atlantic salmon. But what needs to be done to bring our rivers, lakes and streams back from the brink of collapse?
To improve water quality in the UK and restore our best places for nature, we need:
- Legally binding targets for biodiversity and freshwater
- Systemic change to the planning approval system
- To transition to regenerative farming practices and encourage sustainable, nature friendly eating
- To stop untreated sewage from reaching our rivers
- Sufficient resourcing of statutory agencies for robust monitoring and enforcement of existing policy and permits
- To regularly monitor the protected sites network assess progress and target action where it is most needed
For full recommendations and more information on the pressures facing nature in the freshwater environment read the full Troubled Waters report .
Survey figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2067 adults, of which 1889 were from England, Wales or Northern Ireland. Fieldwork was undertaken between 23rd - 24th August 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+).
Some percentage figures may not total up to 100 as a result of rounding up individual figures.
