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The Impact of Water Pollution in the United Kingdom

(Leslie Garland Pictures/Alamy 2021)

To the United Kingdom’s Environment

Agency

Reilly Surdykowski
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Contents 2

Abstract 3

The United Kingdom’s Water Pollution Crisis 4

What is polluting the Rivers and Water Systems 4

How pollution has steadily increased 5

How the water pollution is affecting humans and wildlife 6

Importance of Water 6

Why water is crucial for all life 6

How to help end the water pollution crisis 7

Ban single-use plastics and new poultry/ livestock farms 7

Conclusion 8

References 9

Figures

Figure 1 5

Figure 2 6
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Abstract

Water is essential for all forms of life. Water is always flowing through our bodies. It carries our

blood throughout or bodies, hydrates our skin, allows our brain to function properly, water lets

our eyes see with ease. Water flows through every part of our world (Strang 7). Even though

we know how vital water is to us and Earth, we still pollute it and do not treat our waterways

with care. This problem has become increasingly serious in the United Kingdom.

There are many things that pollute the water systems: single-use plastics, oils, car tires, wet

wipes, chemicals from livestock farms, and more (“’Chemical cocktail ’polluting English rivers -

MPs warn,” 2021). This pollution is killing off much of the marine life and it is also harming

human’s health. “Only 14% of English rivers meet good ecological status, with pollution from

agriculture, sewage, roads and single-use plastics contributing to a dangerous ‘chemical

cocktail ’coursing through our waterways. Not a single river in England has received a clean bill

of health for chemical contamination” (UK Parliament, 2022). If the water pollution crisis is not

a main priority of the United Kingdom Parliament, soon there will be no clean water left.

The United Kingdom’s Water Pollution Crisis

What is Polluting the Rivers and Water Systems

Many different things are pollutants to our waterways. In the United Kingdom, “Raw sewage,

micro-plastics and slurry are coursing through all of England's rivers, putting health and nature

at risk, a parliamentary report concludes.” Studies show that agriculture and water companies
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are the biggest contributor to this pollution problem. A recent report from England’s

Environmental Audit Committee states that Water Companies need to be penalized for the

pollution they emit. Pollution from farming, specifically chicken farms, in the UK is the most

common pollutant in their rivers (’“Chemical cocktail ’polluting English rivers - MPs warn,”

2021). Not only do large companies and farms pollute rivers, so do people every day from their

homes. Oils poured down sinks, plastics being disposed of wrongly, wet wipes and other

hygiene products often end up in the waterways. This pollution hinders oxygen entering the

water which kills wildlife and makes the water toxic.

How Pollution has Steadily Increased in the United Kingdom

Water pollution in the United Kingdom’s seas has increased more than ninety percent in the

past year. Waterways that were labeled as good enough to swim in are now not swimmable.

Water companies dispose of their raw sewage in waterways to avoid spending extra money to

dispose of it properly. Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) reported that the number of wrongful

sewage discharges between October 2020 and September 2021 was 5,517. This is 87.6 percent

greater than their findings the previous year. (“‘The water turned brown while I was in it’:

Sewage pollution rises by more than 80% in a year,” 2021). Harry Briggs, a regular surfer in

England, states that recently when he was surfing the water turned brown whilst he was

swimming in it. He then suffered from a painful ear infection that developed into residual

tinnitus. Briggs believes the pollution was responsible. This would have not happened a year

ago, but due to the increasing pollution issues, the waterways are becoming unsafe to swim in.
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FIGURE 1: GETTY IMAGES, 2021

How the water pollution is affecting humans and wildlife

As told above, Harry Briggs become ill after surfing in England’s polluted waters. Unfortunately,

so have many other people. Just 14 percent of England’s rivers were rated as being in “good”

ecological condition last year (‘“The water turned brown while I was in it’: Sewage pollution

rises by more than 80% in a year,” 2021). Not only are these dirty waterways impacting human

lives, but it also greatly impacts aquatic eco-system lives. Sewage and other pollution cause a
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buildup of phosphorus and nitrogen. This buildup causes algal blooms that then reduce the

oxygen levels, choking fish, plants, and other innocent animals.

FIGURE 2: CENTRE FOR ECOLOGY & HYDROLOGY

Importance of Water

Why water is crucial for all life

Most people know water is important but may not realize all the different ways it is. “Deprived

of water, people and animals die within a few days, though some will hang on - in increasing

misery - for several weeks” (Strang 33). Plants and animals also rely on water for their

livelihood. Water powers machines, water is a big part of some religions, water keeps our

population healthy. But, with the growing population, water has become scarcer and more

polluted. Water is also responsible for photosynthesis, which produces the oxygen we breathe

in. There are millions of ways water impacts and improves our lives.
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How to help end the water pollution crisis

Ban single-use plastics and new poultry/ livestock farms

The United Kingdom’s Environmental Agency is calling on UK’s government to ban all single-use

plastics and single-use hygiene products. To help fix this water pollution crisis, it is also crucial

that the government take the problem more seriously. The government has often been found

not reporting the true numbers and facts of the pollution problem. It is also highly

recommended that the UK ban any new poultry farms being created. The Environment

Agency’s report singles out Wales and south-west Midlands where the waste from 20 million

chickens may be raising the River Wye's phosphorus levels. Water companies need to be held

accountable for where they dump chemicals and raw sewage.

There are many ways we can help end the water pollution crisis. Aside from banning single use

plastics and livestock farms, a big way you can help is simply being more aware. Be sure to

purchase a reusable water bottle. Be sure to avoid littering and if you see litter near waterways,

pick it up. You can compost your yard and food waste. Another big issue causing water

pollution is fertilizer entering our waterways. If fertilizing your yard, be sure to keep the

fertilizer in the grass and not on paved areas. If washing your car, wash it in a place where the

soap can flow into grass or gravel rather than sewers and the street.

Conclusion
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In conclusion, the United Kingdom’s water pollution crisis should be the government’s main

priority. Without water, the human population will cease to exist. There are many things

polluting UK’s waterways, but even if the government fixed one or two of the major ones, there

would be vast improvement in the water quality. The pollution in the water is impacting

human’s health and killing off many animals that call the water their home. Water pollution is a

problem that needs to be stopped at the source. Hold the big companies responsible for how

they treat the environment. If this problem is not fixed soon, there will be not enough water to

support all the life on earth.

References

Rannard, Georgina. 'Chemical Cocktail' Polluting English Rivers - Mps Warn.” BBC News,

BBC, 13 Jan. 2022, https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-59955624.

Strang, Veronica. Water: Nature and Culture. Reaktion Books, 2015.

'The Water Turned Brown While I Was in It': Sewage Pollution Rises by More than 80% in a

Year.” The Big Issue, 25 Nov. 2021, https://www.bigissue.com/news/environment/the-

water-turned-brown-while-i-was-in-it-sewage-pollution-rises-by-more-than-80-in-a-

year/.

Chemical Cocktail of Sewage, Slurry and Plastic ...

https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-

committee/news/160246/chemical-cocktail-of-sewage-slurry-and-plastic-polluting-

english-rivers-puts-public-health-and-nature-at-risk/.
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