No words. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

September MiniPod out today with @alastairchisholm.bsky.social joining us to discuss: - what UK govt will action after many reviews and reports into Water - who should inform people about drought? - What are Sponge Cities and how can they help us meet enviro challenges 🎧⬇️ bity.ly/PP_MiniPod_Sep25

The UK is getting drier. Could reusing greywater help? 🗣️ With comment from CIWEM's Alastair Chisholm and The Rivers Trust's Mark Lloyd. @theriverstrust.bsky.social @alastairchisholm.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...

If reservoirs alone or tackling leakage won't save us from water scarcity & with flood risk on the rise, we need an overarching National Rainwater Strategy to inform water management in developments. Rainwater reuse & SuDS. The benefits would be big. More: www.ewsc.org.uk/project-repo...

Great piece by @itvnews.bsky.social on why the UK still won't have enough water despite building new reservoirs, and some of the other approaches that could unlock water resilient housing and wider economic growth in water scarce areas. @ciwem.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykj5...

On every level allowing special dispensation for Thames would be a disaster + set a horrendous precedent. - Other companies- why bother to comply? - Govt elected on a mandate to clean up rivers/ seas seen as utter frauds - Regulators a total laughing stock www.theguardian.com/business/nil...

That hosepipe bans are one of the first drought measures implemented shows how effective water efficiency is. Home visits are an important part of longer-term programmes. In the SE, 1/2 of new water needs are to leave more in the environment @adamvaughan.bsky.social. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

@alastairchisholm.bsky.social, CIWEM policy director, has warned that although measures like upgrading infrastructure and fixing leakage are important, “ministers can’t keep pushing the focus onto water companies and failing to look at the impact of their own housing growth". More @endsreport.com ⬇️

1) The National Drought Group meet on Wednesday. Water companies likely to activate drought plans. Early action is important to mitigate the impacts seen on nature and agriculture and preserve public water supplies in case of a hot dry summer. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Severn Trent water say they won't be putting on a hosepipe ban this year. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Will there be drought this year and if so, what lessons from 2022 were learned? It's certainly dry so far this year compared to many previous drought years. We'll likely need 2012-esque wet early summer to pull back from the brink. 📢Blog / position here: www.ciwem.org/news/managin...

It’s utter lunacy. Nature & green access aside, how can on one hand govt confirm raised ambition for heat pumps & solar then on the other light a fire under the urban heat island effect? The same week its statutory climate advisers warn its progress on climate adaptation is beyond useless…

Wales has had 30% less rainfall than this point in 2022. In extreme dry conditions, areas with surface water reservoir storage feel the pinch most quickly. Welsh water starting to encourage people to use less. Expect this kind of messaging to spread. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Govt has some oven-ready wins to address failings identified in yesterday's @thecccuk.bsky.social climate progress report. In fact the last Labour government set them up. Whilst Labour loves to point to past Tory water failures, it also needs to get on and act. www.ciwem.org/news/governm...

1) This spring feels not dissimilar to 2022 when we last had drought and heatwaves. Except it's arguably drier. Whether we see drought measures later in the year depends on the next couple of months. inews.co.uk/news/summer-...

1) Latest climate report "blistering" says @seabrookclimate.bsky.social. Govt is keen to blame state of flood defences, water infrastructure etc on Tories. But it is feet-dragging/ backsliding on key flood/ drought resilience policies Tories were planning. news.sky.com/story/govern...

1) Govt advisors have warned countless times of need to better prepare for floods. @thecccuk.bsky.social no doubt will imminently @commonseac.parliament.uk currently investigating Ministers know what needs to be done but housebuilding seemingly trumps all else - & communities suffer. t.co/sxrymfXLpY

It's hard to get your head around the scale of the environmental vandalism the Labour government is hoping to unleash. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill is up there with Trump's executive orders. And the reason is the same: corporate power. This week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What do we need to make a resilient water system? 1/8) Firstly, water sector to improve pollution performance: - Treated sewage effluent, - storm overflows, - appropriate regulation of biosolids, - helping identify drain misconnections, - good asset maintenance. @peopleswater.bsky.social

Earth's storage of water in soil, lakes and rivers is dwindling. Earth's soil moisture dropped by over 2,000 GIGATONS in roughly the last 20 years. It's especially impacting ability to produce food. We have to get our soils back to better health. www.independent.co.uk/news/earth-s...

(1/4) Amongst understandable anger at latest #sewage overflow data, govt's messaging on investment to clean up is consistently misleading. Government didn't "secure" investment, and "private sector" points to the financing mechanism, not who really pays.

No funds are committed to manage flood risk in England past 2026. 2 million people affected by flooding / yr, causing £2.4bn damages. "The government was elected on a promise of 1.5m new houses - these homes must be fit to keep people safe." New Research: www.publicfirst.co.uk/from-risk-to...

Encouraging to hear govt championing the "urgent need" for water efficiency at last. It's trumpeted reservoirs, but now we need it to drive forward mandatory water efficiency labelling, building regs standards, and water quality regs updates to enable rainwater reuse. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Further evidence on the value (multiple benefits and ROI) of natural flood management. These kinds of distributed measures need to be deployed at a landscape scale in upper catchments above the increasing number of at-risk communities. www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/new-res...

Unquestionably, Windermere should be cleaned up, and there are various options to do this. Govt should talk about these rather than potentially making itself hostage to fortune through soundbites pointing to the most extreme outcome. inews.co.uk/news/why-pla...

Govt must show real ambition on water efficiency and rainwater harvesting to ensure its housing targets aren't blocked. New reservoirs alone won't cut it - and will come far too late for 1.5m new homes. Water efficiency = a growth enabler. @emmahardymp.bsky.social inews.co.uk/news/10-uk-a...

Encouraging signals though baby steps on water restoration fund. There still needs to be clear confirmation on how future fines will be used. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Made my Friday 😃 🦫🦫🦫🦫 this is great news (not before time)!

The water industry's big problem? Toxic levels of complexity. Spot on Natalie Thomas @financialtimes.com. But it goes way beyond. Govt chucks in huge levels of added hurdles, contradictory policies & goalpost shifting. Its also about housing, transport, chemicals, farming. www.ft.com/content/ecbe...

Nice little explainer of the Thames Water situation here. The question has to be how more debt resolves a problem hugely exacerbated by the company's pre-existing debt. How long has it had to restructure? Customer/ environment interests seem bottom of the pile. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

"The priority ought to be upgrading Thames’s operations, the issue lost in the legal drama." www.theguardian.com/business/nil...

Really think, now, this is a case of JFDI. news.sky.com/story/beaver...

Build Baby Build: What does it mean for those who are - or will be - at flood risk? The indomitable @floodmary.bsky.social who knows more than a thing or two from experience, says the government is out of sync with flooding reality and new housing. floodmary.com/2025/02/10/b...

New homes are needed but they must be built in the right place and resilient to flood (as well as being water efficient). This isn’t unnecessary red tape, it’s responsibility. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

1/ Rachel Reeves’ growth plans rely heavily on new housing in water scarce parts of the country. New research published yesterday warns water scarcity could deal a *£25 billion* hammer blow to the Chancellor’s ambitions. ewsc.org.uk/action-areas... A 🧵.

A growth at any cost philosophy is self-defeating. It’s self-defeating economically because any respectable economist these days will tell you that all prosperity and resilience rely on nature. ✍️ Richard Benwell

It’s great to see this much money being spent on environmental improvements to water over the next 5 years. But many in the know are disappointed at the lack of multifunctional and green solutions within the programme. This is where things need to improve next time round. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Syphoning water company fines out of the system and away from practical recovery programmes is a travesty. The Special Measures Bill has limited real value. The Fund could enable considerable, practical measures. Treasury must do the right thing. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

Can London's rivers be swimmable within 10 years? It’s a helluva task, and it will need a lot of individually small solutions to treat pollution or stop it entering the rivers. www.bbc.com/news/article...

If this isn't going to be a dangerous step away from key environment principles government must show serious, rapid commitment to delivering genuinely transformative programmes through a nature recovery fund and show this isn't the thin end of a deregulation wedge. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Even if the chancellor thinks this, it's still a very disappointing narrative to push given the state of global politics. It does increasingly appear to be indicative of the view of the environment at the top of government - subservient not essential. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Passionate case by @rozsavagemp.bsky.social for Climate & Nature bill (& flat hedgehogs!) @zero-hour.bsky.social + Lord Deben pulls no punches: “The treasury has got to learn something that it doesn’t like: that climate and nature are absolutely crucial for the future.” #CANBill

UK drinking water sources contaminated with PFAS: in our article for the Guardian, @watershed-i.bsky.social reveal the scale of the pollution - which will only get worse if we do not act now to stem the flow, & restrict use of forever chemicals. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Usual clear eyed sitrep On Thames Water by Dieter Helm. Growth ambitions for Thames region need a reset company with space to focus on delivery, not a knackered dinosaur in the midst of a messy divorce where it’s the kids (customers & environment) who suffer most. dieterhelm.co.uk/publications...

Prof Richard Brazier, who has conducted much beaver research in England, said: “From our research over the last 10 yrs and wider research around beaver reintroduction globally, the overwhelming consensus on the impacts of wild-living beavers is hugely positive” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The Water Restoration Fund is a great way to ensure water company fines help restore nature. Government is resisting putting the Fund in law & the first £11m hasn't been paid, leaving projects in limbo. If not in law, will the Government secure this vital fund in the Budget?

PFAS is a clear example of where source control has to be the best management option. Clean-up costs are astronomical already www.theguardian.com/environment/...

This week, @timfarron.bsky.social spoke about those who work for water companies, the EA and Ofwat: "I want those people to know, and to hear, that we really value them. They are a blessing to us. They are not the problem; the system is." Thank you. www.parallelparliament.co.uk/r/mp/tim-far...