UK River Report #10: Government Guarantees and Corporate Contempt, Tapered Testing and the Commission's Counsel
- Federico White
- Jul 30
- 7 min read
Welcome back dear reader to the tenth installment of the UK River Report. To celebrate this double-digit milestone, I shall cover some of the government's announced commitments to protect our waterways, set in the backdrop of unscrupulous water companies and reductions to crucial pollution monitoring programmes. This post will also discuss the landmark Independent Water Commission Final Report, alongside some of the most recent work by Save Windermere campaigners.
Triumphant tripe:
The government has recently announced a supposedly 'admirable' pledge to halve sewage discharges from water companies by 2030 [1]. Although it is welcoming to see the government attempt to the address the pollution crisis facing our waterways, the fact Labour continues to balk at the proposal of renationalising is almost laughable, when this would actually redirect the priorities of the water sector away from barefaced profiteering, currently without regard for customers or the environment [1].
When citing concerns of the estimated £100 billion cost of nationalisation and that this may 'take years', may I remind the government, for which economic growth is supposedly its number one mission, how river pollution is likely to have cost £16 billion due to housebuilding restrictions alone, alongside of the countless number of livelihoods lost whenever sewage discharge occurs, all allowed to happen under private ownership [1-3].
Southern Water sleaze:
Ever a government of words, as opposed to meaningful action, the environment secretary has condemned the pay rise awarded to Southern Water's CEO, Lawrence Gosden, increasing his earnings for this year to over £1 million [4]. Although it is certainly important to raise awareness of issues such as this, it is fair to say the general public are well aware and rightly demand change.
Even as Southern Water are banned by Ofwat from paying bonuses due to their abhorrent environmental record, it argues this is not the same as the company's 'long-term incentive plan', as it seemingly continues to act with impunity, undermining what regulation the industry has [4].
This is the same Southern Water who's CEO Gosden, alongside various trusts, activists and regulators, was a speaker at The River Summit 2024, wishing to help 'improve the health of our precious chalkstreams' [5, 6].
Another facade, another superficial promise.
Examining our water:
At a time when the importance of monitoring programmes cannot be overstated, we are worryingly running counter to the flow, as staff shortages have forced the Environment Agency's Starcross Laboratory in Devon to cancel approximately 10,000 tests for inorganic pollutants within the last three months [7]. Although attempting to calm matters, reporting that despite these cancellations, monitoring 'remains robust' and that the combination or postponing of other tests are part of a supposed 'optimisation programme', Starcross is expected to function at 15% below capacity for the year [7].
The frequent and regular testing of inorganic pollutants such as nitrates and phosphates is vital to monitor and respond to river pollution. Given that water companies continue to act without regard for their customers or the environment, a trend that is clearly worsening with a 60% increase in pollution incidents caused by these companies, continued independent monitoring must be prioritised [8].
This is especially significant as the Independent Water Commission 2025 recommends greater environmental regulation, in part through third-party assurance and inspection of Operator Self-Monitoring, something water companies have frequently been found to abuse [9, 10].
The recommendations of the Commission are certainly monumental and ought to shape the government's approach to the sector for at least the next 25 years through a new National Water Strategy, alongside the creation of a single water regulator for England and Wales respectively, eight new regional planning authorities in England and one national authority in Wales, which ought to help close regulatory loopholes exploited by water companies and better represent local priorities [9, 11].
However, this unfortunately fails to outline a wider strategy to tackle the combined sewerage crisis. Instead, recognising the growing pressures facing the system, through climate change, population growth and urban development, the report emphasises 'pre-pipe' solutions, with the current lack of statutory requirements to support sustainable drainage, including how Sustainable Drainage Systems, proven to be effective, are not yet mandatory for new developments, due to Schedule 3 to the Flood and Water Management Act 2010 having not been implemented [11].
Certainly important considerations, this still does not address the millions of older homes still connected to combined sewers, a challenge exacerbated by the aforementioned pressures [12].
Furthermore, in its recommendations the Commission fails to detail the development of new, much-needed reservoirs, even the government has previously admitted that without fresh construction, we risk running out of drinking water by the mid 2030s, with the pressing concern of drought underscoring our present lack of climate resilience [11, 13]. Combined with no mention of renationalising the water industry, it feels as though the Commission's Report does not truly represent the views of the general public, with 82% of respondents conclusively backing renationalisation of water in a poll last year [14]. It is frustratingly clear how an industry which prioritises shareholder returns will never be capable of tackling rising water bills, polluted rivers and drought, that it is in fact responsible for having induced [15].
Although I could dedicate an entire post to the Independent Water Commission Final Report and its 88 recommendations, I instead urge readers to investigate for yourselves how its findings may affect you. The Report is publicly available and linked here:
Underhanded United Utilities:
To conclude on a more optimistic note, I wanted to cover some of the invaluable work by the Save Windermere team, keeping up with and exposing the lies and deceit perpetrated by United Utilities, as it continues its campaign of greenwashing.
In one investigation, Save Windermere dismantled United Utilities' claim in 2024 that through their investment from 2015-2020 this had reduced phosphorus discharge from the company by 50%, when in reality this figure was based on modelling assumptions, without using any post-investment data [16]. As aptly put by Save Windermere, when 'a £7 billion monopoly with one overriding priority: maximising dividend returns' publically claims responsibility for environmental improvements, this ought to be to be questioned and investigated [16].
Similarly, Save Windermere has uncovered another instance of United Utilities' greenwashing efforts, through the Wonderful Windermere Bespoke Performance Commitment [17]. The scheme, proposed by United Utilities, allows the company as a 'catchment convenor' to claim credit and financial rewards for pollution reductions from third parties, including through using models and assumptions over actual data [17]. Moreover, there is an obvious conflict of interest as United Utilities is allowed to select who verifies these results, when a considerable number of the organisations involved in management (e.g. The National Rivers Trust, UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology etc.) are partially funded by United Utilities [17].
To help Save Windermere continue its fight for the future of England's largest lake, please consider donating to their campaign, if you are in a position to do so. Alternatively, spreading news of their work and United Utilities' deceptiveness, by any means, is just as powerful.
Thank you for taking the time to read this month's issue of the UK River Report. I hope you found it informative. If you would like to get involved and raise awareness of river pollution in your area, please head over to the UK River Report website and check under the 'Get Involved' page to complete our survey, or feel free to get in touch via the 'Contact' page, if you feel you have more to discuss than the survey can offer.
With hope for the future,
Federico
References:
1. Boyd A, Hooker L. Sewage Discharges to Halve by 2030, Minister Pledges. BBC; 2025. [cited 2025 July 21]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g8m8r6grzo
2. Davies W. River Pollution: New Phosphate Rules Hit Thousands of Planned New Homes. BBC; 2022. [cited 2025 July 21]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-63285821
3. Shepherd H. Growth for Who?: The True Cost of Water Pollution. River Action; 2025. [cited 2025 July 21]. Available from: https://riveractionuk.com/news/growth-for-who/
4. BBC News. Water Boss Pay 'Outrageous', Says Environment Secretary. BBC; 2025. [cited 2025 July 23]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp90335j0eeo
5. The River Summit and Festival. Thank You for Making the UK River Summit 2025 Extraordinary. The River Summit and Festival; 2025. [cited 2025 July 24]. Available from:
6. The River Summit and Festival. The UK River Summit 2024. The River Summit and Festival; 2024. [cited 2025 July 24]. Available from: https://www.theriversummit.com/the-uk-river-summit-2024
7. Fisher J. Thousands of River Pollution Tests Cancelled Because of Staff Shortages. BBC; 2025. [cited 2025 July 26]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx24xy8zgp4o
8. Stallard E. Serious Water Pollution Incidents up 60% in England, Environment Agency Says. BBC; 2025. [cited 2025 July 26]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5zl75dmm0o
9. Independent Water Commission. Roadmap to Rebuild Trust in Water Sector Unveiled in Major New Report. GOV.UK; 2025. [cited 2025 July 27]. Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/roadmap-to-rebuild-trust-in-water-sector-unveiled-in-major-new-report
10. Ungoed-Thomas J. Revealed: Water Firms in England ‘Passed’ Pollution Tests That Were Never Carried Out. The Guardian; 2024. [cited 2025 July 27]. Available from:
11. Independent Water Commission. Independent Water Commission Final Report. GOV.UK; 2025. [cited 2025 July 27]. Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/687dfcc4312ee8a5f0806be6/Independent_Water_Commission_-_Final_Report_-_21_July.pdf
12. JDP. Does Your House Have the Right Drain Connections? JDP; 2021. [cited 2025 July 28]. Available from: https://www.jdpipes.co.uk/knowledge/underground-sewer/does-your-house-have-the-right-drain-connections.html
13. Poynting M. Drinking Water Shortage in Decade Without New Reservoirs, Minister Says. [cited 2025 July 28]. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8dv6l2jlzo
14. Smith M. Support for Nationalising Utilities and Public Transport Has Grown Significantly in Last Seven Years. YouGov; 2024. [cited 2025 July 28]. Available from: https://yougov.co.uk/politics/articles/50098-support-for-nationalising-utilities-and-public-transport-has-grown-significantly-in-last-seven-years
15. Monbiot G. High Water Bills, Filthy Rivers - and Now Drought. This is England’s Great Artificial Water Crisis of 2025. The Guardian; 2025. [cited 2025 July 28]. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jul/17/water-bills-filthy-rivers-drought-water-crisis
16. Save Windermere. Phantom Progress: The Truth Behind United Utilities’ 50% Reduction Claims. Save Windermere; 2025. [cited 2025 July 30]. Available from: https://www.savewindermere.com/blog/50-reduction?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=6878114f68d0923165856525&ss_email_id=6878ae19f15451537d8371df&ss_campaign_name=Wonderful+Windermere%3F+Not+even+close.&ss_campaign_sent_date=2025-07-17T08%3A02%3A55Z
17. Save Windermere. Is United Utilities’ ‘Wonderful Windermere’ Scheme Really So Wonderful? Save Windermere; 2025. [cited 2025 July 30]. Available from:
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