The Environment Agency is reiterating its warnings over deteriorating water quality and diminishing resources in the face of population growth and climate change in its latest reports on the state of water resources, water quality, air quality and soil in England.

The reports cover the key environmental issues relating to:

• status and trends
• current and future pressures

The Agency said that the impacts of pressures on water resources are evident and will increase with a growing population, changing climate and changes to how we use land.

Abstraction, drainage and altered water levels are the major causes of damage to wetlands, according the regulator. In 2017, abstraction from around 28% of groundwater bodies and up to 18% of surface waters was at higher than sustainable levels. In 2016, unsustainable abstraction prevented at least 6% and possibly up to 15% of river water bodies from meeting good ecological status or potential.

In 2014, 77% of chalk streams, globally important habitats that are often negatively affected by abstraction, did not meet good ecological status. Some 75% to 80% of all chalk streams occur in the UK.

When a sample of the streams were tested further, abstraction was found to be the primary contributing factor in around a quarter of cases. In 2016 abstraction by water companies for public water supply used an estimated 55% of all water abstracted from freshwater sources (non-tidal surface water and groundwater). Population growth will continue to be one of the biggest pressures on water resources, with many of the growth areas are in places where the water environment and water supplies are already stressed.

The reports say that decisions taken in the years ahead on how energy is generated and how land is used will also have large effects on water resources in England, although the exact extent of some of the impacts is not yet clear.

Daily leakage loss equal to daily amount used in homes by over 20 million people 

Commenting on leakage, the Environment Agency said that treated water leaking from pipes places a significant pressure on water resources and the environment. Over 3,000 million litres per day are lost through leakage in England - equivalent to the daily amount used in homes by over 20 million people (just under a third of the UK population.)

The report says that current leakage volumes, at around 20% of water put into supply, are large enough to have a noticeable effect on the total demand for water. In total, one-third of water taken from the natural environment is wasted either through leaky pipes, losses in treatment or in the home.

“ Water companies should pursue more ambitious water resource management plans that are resilient to future stresses, develop new resources, support environmental objectives and incorporate better ways to manage and share resources” the Agency said.

In a warning for the water sector, it said that treatment plants, pumping stations and sewers that are designed to cope with the past and present climate “may no longer be adequate” and “the reliability of existing reservoirs, groundwater sources and river intakes” would change.

On drought, the report says that although there is no clear trend, summer river flows and groundwater levels may decrease in the future. The time it takes to refill water supplies, coupled with variable weather conditions and diverse landscape, means we could increasingly see water shortages in some areas at the same time as flooding in others. It also warns that some infrastructure, critical for providing water supplies, will also be more vulnerable to flooding.

The Environment Agency said:

“If we do not increase water supply, reduce demand and cut down on wastage, many areas will face significant water deficits by 2050, particularly in the south east. The National Infrastructure Commission recently reported that if the water industry does not improve infrastructure and water efficiency we risk a future without enough water for people, business, farmers, wildlife and the environment.”

Water quality - 86% of river water bodies in 2016 did not meet good ecological status

According to the Agency, groundwater quality ( a vital source of drinking water) is currently deteriorating is often heavily polluted with nitrates, mainly from agriculture. The report says there are also still far too many serious pollution incidents, 317 to water in 2016. Over the last decade the number of serious water pollution incidents from water companies has remained broadly the same, with about 60 incidents each year.

Nearly half of groundwater bodies will not reach good chemical status by 2021 - nitrate levels were responsible for 65% of failures to achieve good chemical status in groundwaters protected for drinking water.

In 2016, 86% of river water bodies had not reached good ecological status. Unacceptable levels of phosphorus in over half of English rivers, usually due to sewage effluent and pollution from farm land, are choking wildlife as algal blooms use up their oxygen. For assessed river water bodies in England, 55% were at less than good status for phosphorus in 2016. There was a 1% decline in the number of rivers that were at 'good or better' biological or chemical status in 2016 compared to 2015.

In marked contrast, bathing water quality has improved over the last 30 years with 98% passing minimum standards and 65% at excellent status in 2017.

The Agency is calling for a range of actions on water quality, including:

• water companies must continue reducing pollution incidents from sewer systems and sewage treatment works
• farmers must manage their land responsibly, using fertilisers and pesticides with much greater care – all the more so as the government considers new payments that increasingly reward environmental and public benefits
• water companies, businesses and volunteers are needed to provide practical and financial support for catchment partnerships to help rejuvenate the water environment

Click here to download the EA Water resources report

Click here to download the EA Water quality report