CIWEM publish recommendations to secure a fresh water future

The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) launched its report, A Fresh Water Future, yesterday in the House of Commons. It contains 10 recommendations designed to overhaul the management of the UK’s freshwater systems and ensure their recovery. The report argues that “without transformational change, the decline in the health and resilience of water...[will] accelerate in the face of growing pressures”.  

Recommendations were gathered from a combination of public and practitioner and stakeholder engagement. Public First used focus groups to test values and concerns with communities and polled a nationally representative group of 4,000 people to determine the resonance of these views.  

Polling revealed that over three quarters of the public believed water reform should be a priority, or the main priority for the next government. Only 30% were aware of the impact of agriculture on water pollution, revealing a gap in understanding of this issue.

Sustain were part of the steering group that helped to develop the recommendations in the report, which cover industry, agriculture, personal usage and the impacts of urbanisation.  

The recommendations recognised the role that intensive farming has played in polluting the UK’s freshwater systems, including:  

1 – Improve advice and support for nature and water-friendly farming, mirrored by increased enforcement against poor practice, unlocking a fair balance between enforcement and support. This includes:  

• Delivering advice to farmers within the context of local issues that impact their catchments.  

• Linking farm payments to good water management, with water quality and resilience a major focus for farm advice.  

• Strong focus on water within standards set out under ELMS to enable farming to move to a model of efficient input, sustainable productivity, greater climate resilience and low environmental impact.  

• Greater monitoring and enforcement of water pollution within the farming system, with an ‘advice then enforce’ mindset.  

2 - Deliver a statutory nutrient management programme. This includes: 

• Mandatory soil testing ahead of nutrient applications. 

• Advising farmers on how they can move to low-input approaches to agriculture and reduce their use of nutrients.  

• Reforming planning policy to prevent new intensive livestock units where the catchment is already overloaded with nutrients. Councils should be required to use existing local plan powers to properly scrutinise applications for new intensive units in already polluted areas.  

• At a national level, water pollution should be a material planning consideration.  

• Changing the threshold size for which planning permission and a permit is required for intensive livestock operations. Smaller units and indoor dairy units should always require planning permission and be regulated by permits.  

• The environmental permitting approach for livestock units must properly assess the waste that is sent off site.  

Coordinator of the Food for the Planet campaign, Ruth Westcott said:

"This report is clear, if we continue on this path of pollution and destruction, our already suffering freshwater systems face collapse. This would be a disaster, but it is avoidable. CIWEM’s excellent and popular recommendations for government can be implemented now and will ensure future generations have access to this most basic human need. What is striking is the level of agreement from those concerned with drinking water, food and farming, nature and our health about the need to clamp down on the businesses that are profiting from polluting our water. It is also clear how important this issue is to the public, and we need to see all parties adopt these recommendations in their manifestos for election in 2024."