One single story, told the right way, can create waves of change. 

This was a memorable line from Raman Nijjar, an amazing young campaigner for UK nature; her speech was one of the highlights of the March for Clean Water.  

Last Sunday on November 3rd, the March for Clean Water took place by the banks of the Thames in London.

Protestors young and old called for the government to ‘stop the poisoning of Britain’s waters’ in the wake of the floods of concerning news about the alarming amounts of sewage being discharged into our lakes, rivers and streams.

The ‘blue wave’ went all the way to Westminster included speeches from speakers on the front line of demanding change in their local communities, and featured Chris Packham (an environmental activist and TV presenter) calling for a ‘reform to OFWAT’, criticising the government for failing to include nature in the recently revealed Budget.  

The march, initiated by River Action and made possible through a coalition of charities, trusts, universities and other organisations, reflects the growing dissatisfaction and frustration with how the government and water companies have been managing the UK’s water, which is not just a precious resource but life itself. 

To highlight some of the issues facing the water bodies of the nation, here are some staggering statistics about water quality in the UK (from the March for Clean water website): 

  • 100% of England's rivers are polluted 
  • 1 in 6 freshwater species face extinction 
  • Water companies were illegally dumping sewage into our waters over 1000 times a day last year 

According to March for Clean Water, actions being called for include reform of regulation (which involves a review of OFWAT and the environment agency), enforcing the law that is already in place to protect our water, and ending pollution for profit. 

On Sunday, the British public came together to demand change, for the protection of human health, the conservation of wildlife and the return to clear waters amid troubled times. It is up to the government and water agencies to listen, and to act. 

 

You can head to March for Clean Water to learn more about why they were marching, the dire state of Britain’s waterways and the messages they hope to get across to the people in power. The livestream of the event is also available on YouTube (https://youtu.be/t16nnewIVDM)