Expert comment: water reform 'a drop in the ocean'

Dr Jess Neumann and Professor Hannah Cloke comment on the government's water white paper, outlining reform to the UK water system.

Dr Jess Neumann, associate professor in hydrology, University of Reading, said: "This is a welcome, if only a small step in the right direction to improving water quality and the health of our rivers and wetlands.

"⁠The overhaul is promising to be proactive in tackling the causes of water failure head on, although it is not yet clear how the government is planning to do this.

"In my view, we need a complete overhaul of how water companies are managed, we need new laws to govern the planning of new developments of homes and infrastructure, and a large injection of finance into urgent issues that relate to water quality, including flood defence, droughts and biodiversity decline.

"It is fantastic to see the value and knowledge of community groups recognised. Nobody knows their local river and environment better than the people who live, work and spend time there engaging with their watery landscape. Capturing and harnessing this knowledge from the public is vital to effectively target actions where they are most needed.

"This is a tiny amount of money. While £29 million sounds like a lot, it is a drop in the ocean in terms of what is needed, and as a proportion of the fines already imposed on water companies. Thames Water was fined £123m in May last year. Anglian Water were fined £62.8m, and South West Water were fined £24m for wastewater treatment issues in September. What can be done with £29m?"

Professor Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology, University of Reading, said: "The government says it wants to shift from mopping up the mess of poluted rivers, to dealing with the root cause of the problem. How they plan to do that remains to be seen.

"It is great to fund catchment partnerships and restoring nature, but it is heart-breaking for communities if their hard work to clean up a river is destroyed in seconds by a sewage overflow caused by decades of underinvestment in infrastructure.

"The government is calling this a 'once-in-a-generation reform' of Britain's water system. Now we need the action to match the ambition."

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