Sign the Petition

Water quality is in crisis in the UK. Our freshwater environments are being destroyed by an avalanche of pollutants. Not a single river in the UK is currently in an overall state of good chemical health and only 16% achieve good ecological health – a figure that has remained unchanged since 2016. This stagnant progress is simply unacceptable and the consequences of further inaction will be devastating.

Planet Patrol is demanding the government take transformative action to reverse the destruction of our waterways before it is too late.

The Environment Agency plans to weaken legislation that requires 75% of England’s rivers to achieve ‘good’ status by 2027. This will have a potentially irreversible and devastating impact on our aquatic environments. 

We are calling on the Rt Hon Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Thérèse Coffey, to reject any plans to amend the legislation that requires 75% of England’s rivers to achieve ‘good’ status by 2027. 

This target is both a major driver of public and private investment into cleaning up our waterways and a vital tool to hold industries with permits to pollute – which include much more than just water companies – to account over water pollution. 

Today, Planet Patrol has published its inaugural report What Lies Beneath, investigating the current state of waterways in England and Scotland. Covering six key parameters, it’s one of the largest national people-powered studies of its kind. The findings offer a stark reality into the widespread, poor condition of our freshwater environments. 

98% of sites failed to meet acceptable criteria for at least one of the five pollutants monitored

Over half, 52%, of sites failed on three or more parameters. 

By signing this petition, you are demanding that the UK Government reject any amendment to current legislation requiring 75% of English rivers to achieve ‘good’ status by 2027.

People-powered action can make a big difference, thank you for your support.