Category: Environment Agency

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News story: New guide for farmers to help reduce air pollution from ammonia

A new guide published today sets out the steps farmers, advisors and contractors can take to reduce ammonia emissions and help improve air quality.

Our Clean Air Strategy highlights that agriculture is responsible for 88% of UK emissions of ammonia gas, which ‘over-fertilises’ natural habitats with nitrogen and combines with other pollutants to produce fine Particulate Matter pollution which is harmful to human health.

The Code of Good Agricultural Practice (COGAP) for Reducing Ammonia Emissions sets out simple steps all farmers can take to reduce ammonia emissions, such as using a nutrient management plan to calculate fertiliser application rates.

It also includes more significant changes to slurry storage, spreading equipment and infrastructure, alongside innovative techniques such as slurry and digestate acidification and separation.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

Air pollution is not just an urban issue and with 88% of ammonia emissions coming from farming, the government is taking concerted action.

With clear new guidance and financial support we will help farmers across the country to take action, reduce emissions and help improve air quality.

In addition to the new guidance, Defra is providing a package of financial and technical advice to help farmers reduce their emissions.

Defra is investing £3 million over the next three years to fund a specialist team of experts who will offer support, advice and guidance on the most effective ways to reduce emissions from ammonia on their land.

It will also fund demonstrations of the latest low-emission spreading equipment and one-to-one advice on reducing ammonia emissions which will be available from Catchment Sensitive Farming officers by the end of this year.

The RDPE Countryside Productivity scheme is currently offering 40% grants towards much of the manure management equipment recommended in the COGAP to reduce ammonia emissions. This includes low-emission spreading equipment, slurry and digestate storage bags, digestate processing equipment and mild acidification equipment. Farmers in priority catchments for reducing water pollution may also be eligible for grants towards covers for slurry stores and lagoons under the Countryside Stewardship scheme.

The voluntary code has been written by Defra in collaboration with the National Farmers Union (NFU), the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board and the Agricultural Industries Confederation.

Contributions have also been made by other organisations including ADAS, the British Egg Council, the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the Environment Agency, Linking Environment and Farming (LEAF), the National Association of Agricultural Contractors, Natural England, Plantlife and the Tenant Farmers Association.

The guide includes information on how to reduce emissions when:

  • storing organic manure
  • applying organic manure
  • applying manufactured nitrogen fertiliser
  • feeding livestock
  • housing livestock

NFU environment forum chairman Mark Pope said:

The NFU welcomes the launch of the Code of Good Agricultural Practice for Reducing Ammonia Emissions. The code contains a variety of measures to reduce ammonia emissions on farm, which in many instances provide multiple benefits to the environment and resource efficiency.

Farmers have recognised there is a need to reduce their ammonia emissions and the sector has made improvements with levels dropping by 10% in the past 30 years. However, further reductions are required from the industry in order to meet targets set under the Government’s Clean Air Strategy. We urge Defra to continue to offer farmers guidance on this issue alongside targeted financial support where necessary.

Robert Sheasby, chief executive of the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), which represents companies delivering both inputs and advice to farmers said:

We are pleased to note that the new code recognises the importance of professional advisers in guiding farm practice. Those on the Feed Adviser Register and FACTS Qualified Advisers are already undertaking additional training that will update some 4,500 professionals on the code’s requirements.

By delivering advice tailored to the needs of individual farms, their crops and livestock, we will make a significant contribution to meeting Defra’s ambition for productivity and ammonia mitigation.

Jill Hewitt, Technical Consultant at the National Association of Agricultural Contractors added;

Spreading manures, slurry and digestate waste has become a predominantly contractor operation and the NAAC welcomes new guidance to help farmers and contractors make decisions about the best way to apply waste to land to maximise nutrient content, and minimise air pollution.

Nigel Penlington, Head of Environment and Buildings at the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board said;

There is increasing pressure on framers to control ammonia so we welcome this as a first step to help raise awareness and provide simple, practical steps to make a difference on the farm, improve the image of farming and its environmental performance and, at the same time, save farmers money and provide some benefits to the health and welfare of livestock and crop health,

Link: News story: New guide for farmers to help reduce air pollution from ammonia
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Amnesty event chance for illegal car breakers to make fresh start

Illegal car breakers in the Portsmouth area are being invited to find out more about becoming ‘legit’ at an amnesty event being staged all this week by the Environment Agency.

The Environment Agency is encouraging those interested in making a fresh start to visit their incident vehicle parked next to Mick’s Burgers on Portsdown Hill.

Visitors will be able to talk to staff in person and find out how to get a permit – with no catches or comebacks. The officers will be there from 8am until 3pm every day until Friday July 20.

The impact of illegal waste sites is estimated at £98 million, with illegal car breakers among the worst offenders. The Environment Agency has new powers to clamp down on illegal breakers, such as by blocking their yard, seizing their van and confiscating their profits.

Those choosing to hurt the reputation of the car-breaking industry by operating illegally without the necessary paperwork and infrastructure might save money in the short term. However, they cause pollution, fires, illegal hazardous waste, and take business away from the ‘good guys’ who are doing their best to run a professional operation to support their family.

Environment Agency officers are already out looking for illegal operators, on the roads of Portsmouth and Chichester, and online.

Vic Jennings, from the Environment Agency’s Hampshire and Isle of Wight Regulatory Waste Team, said:

We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for local car breakers to get legit. We’re using our incident vehicle up on Portsdown Hill from 8am to 3pm all this week so people can drop in discretely, and anonymously if they wish.

We can answer their questions, or even start them on the process if that’s what they want. Our message is simple: ‘show us you’re trying, and we’ll help you all the way’.

Free help is also available online or by calling 03708 506 506.

The Environment Agency will be holding another amnesty week 15 to 19 October 2018, on the Chichester bypass, next to the Pass Street Café, PO19 7RT.

Link: Press release: Amnesty event chance for illegal car breakers to make fresh start
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Yellow fish remind people how they can reduce sea pollution

The Environment Agency is using yellow fish to alert people on the Kent coast to what happens when they pour fat, oils or other waste down their yard drains or road gullies.

Teams visited Walpole Bay in Margate and Viking Bay in Broadstairs where they painted yellow fish symbols next to drains carrying surface water into the sea. Their aim is to remind residents and business owners how pollution can travel directly into the ocean.

Working with Thanet District Council and Southern Water, on 13 July they stencilled the fish symbols on and around the covers of road drains along the towns’ promenades.

It is part of a national campaign by the Environment Agency to raise awareness of the importance of keeping the country’s bathing waters clean, supported by the mantra ‘Only rain down the drain!’

Initiatives like these have contributed to the great strides made in improving the quality of bathing water over the last 20 years. It is thanks to the hard work of the Environment Agency, Defra, water companies, councils, local communities, farmers and environmental organisations.

The Environment Agency continues to remind the public that everyone has an important part to play in protecting the seas and improving the quality of the country’s bathing waters.

Alan Cansdale, Environment Manager for the Environment Agency, said:

It has been great having the opportunity to work with local people, who also use and enjoy the local bathing waters. The Yellow Fish campaign is a simple and effective way of showing everyone that by making small changes we can all help to reduce pollution entering our rivers and seas which in turn helps to keep the local bathing water clean.

Councillor Jason Savage, Deputy Leader for Thanet District Council, said:

Our partnership work with the Environment Agency and Southern Water has enabled us to highlight the important role that residents, visitors and businesses play in keeping Thanet’s beaches clean. The Yellow Fish campaign is a fantastic way to help get this message across.

Rob Butson, Bathing Water Manager for Southern Water, said:

It’s vital we all work together to protect our beautiful beaches and bathing waters. Campaigns like Yellow Fish really help engage the community and spread the message that only rain should go down the drain!

We’re proud to work in partnership with the Environment Agency and the Council to help play our part in improving bathing water quality across our region.

Link: Press release: Yellow fish remind people how they can reduce sea pollution
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Water company fined for pollution incidents

Northumbrian Water Ltd (NWL) has been ordered to pay over £33,600 in fines and costs for three separate pollution incidents, including pollution of a Tyne Valley burn with untreated sewage effluent, which bypassed the local sewage treatment works.

The company was sentenced on Monday 23 July at South Tyneside Magistrates’ Court after admitting one charge of causing a discharge of untreated sewage into Smithy Burn at Broomley on 19 August 2016.

Two other similar offences were taken into consideration as part of this case following unpermitted discharges of sewage effluent on 26 June 2015 at both Summerhouse & Killerby Sewage Treatment Works (STW), both near Darlington.

The pollution at Broomley originated from a storm overflow channel. These allow rainwater and sewage effluent to bypass a sewage treatment works in times of heavy rainfall, to avoid the works’ capacity being exceeded. To be lawful, storm overflows should be incorporated into the works’ environmental permit.

According to the Environment Agency, this was not the case at Broomley, since Northumbrian Water’s environmental permit clearly states that discharges to Smithy Burn should consist only of treated sewage effluent.

Silt build-up

Chris Bunting, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, told the court that investigations found a build-up of silt had prevented flow from reaching the works, and instead diverted it to the storm overflow. Northumbrian Water’s maintenance inspections hadn’t included a requirement to check a manhole chamber where the blockage would likely have been discovered.

Formal samples were taken from the burn and an ecological survey revealed a thick sewage fungus affecting the watercourse for 100m downstream of the outfall, which had starved the water of oxygen and resulted in the death of freshwater shrimp and midge larvae.

At Summerhouse & Killerby STW’s, the Environment Agency’s inspections found both to be in a poor state of repair with faulty equipment. Rather than discharging treated sewage effluent, at Killerby sampling showed effluent leaving the works was more polluted than where it arrived.

Malcolm Galloway, appearing for NWL told the court that staff were to blame for the faults as they hadn’t followed the company’s inspection procedures, and that NWL has a good compliance record. He also maintained that the storm overflow at Broomley had been permitted because it was included in the permit application made back in 1989.

In sentencing, District Judge Roger Elsey ruled that the company’s culpability was low, but that the additional offences meant the fine had to be increased.

Environment Agency Area Environment Manager, Fiona Morris said:

The incident at Broomley had a significant impact on the ecology of Smithy Burn. This case demonstrates how important it is that water companies and wider regulated industries understand and comply with the conditions by which they are permitted to operate.

Link: Press release: Water company fined for pollution incidents
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Playground ready for summer fun at Forge Mill Farm

Ongoing construction of phase 2 of the Environment Agency Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, meant that the children’s play area at Forge Mill Farm, had to be closed whilst the wall was being built. In addition to the play area being ready for the start of school holidays, contractors have now moved access to their construction site, away from the main visitor car park, to ensure safety of visitors to the park.

Rachel Kelly, Environment Agency project lead for the scheme said:

We have been working closely with our partners and the local community, to ensure that we minimise disruption to the park users and safety is of our top priority, especially as the summer holiday season begins and more people come to enjoy the park.

A number of notice boards are now on display around Forge Mill Farm, the lake and RSPB, to give visitors the latest information on progress of Phase 2 of the Perry Barr and Witton Flood Risk Management Scheme, which will reduce the risk of flooding for 1400 properties in the area.

More information is available about the scheme on the Perry Barr and Witton flood scheme page or contact the Environment Agency project team.

Along with flood defences and flood management schemes, knowing your flood risk is also important when protecting your family and property from flooding. People can check their risk and register to receive free flood warnings by visiting the Environment Agency flood information pages or calling Floodline on 0345 988 1188.

Link: Press release: Playground ready for summer fun at Forge Mill Farm
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Environment Agency responds to impacts of dry weather

The Environment Agency has stepped up its incident response to tackle the impacts of continued dry weather, following the driest June since 1925.

Record-breaking temperatures and very low rainfall throughout May, June and much of July is taking its toll on the environment, with wildlife suffering as river levels drop. EA teams have responded to 44 significant environmental incidents since the end of June including moorland fires, algal blooms, dry boreholes, low river flows and fish rescues.

The National Drought Group (NDG), chaired by Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency convened today (Monday 23 July) to discuss the operational approach to managing water supplies and review preparation for the pressures ahead.

The group is made up of 30 organisations including water companies, regulators and environmental groups. During the meeting, water companies explained how they were implementing activity set out in their drought plans and increasing efforts to reduce leakage.

NDG members set out how they had stepped up activity on all fronts and urged everyone to reduce water use and wastage to conserve supplies and protect the environment.

See the NDG’s full position statement GOV.UK

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive Environment Agency said:

The water that comes from the tap is taken from our rivers and reservoirs and the amount we use has a direct effect on people and the environment around us.

As we prepare for drought in the North West and dry weather continues around the country, we have stepped up our response to minimise wastage and tackle the impacts of low river flows on wildlife.

We all have a part to play to protect this precious resource. I expect water companies to step up their efforts to ensure supplies are well-managed and people at home should use water wisely.

The lack of rain has led to a rapid decline in reservoir levels in the North West. The EA is preparing for drought in the region and United Utilities have announced a hosepipe ban affecting 7 million people from early August. The company have applied for 2 drought permits and 1 drought order across Cumbria, which the EA are now considering. The company is preparing a further 3 drought permits to be submitted before the end of July.

Dry weather is also affecting a number of sectors, notably agriculture with concerns about water supplies needed for irrigation and potentially lower yields. The EA is meeting with affected groups to provide practical advice about conserving water and planning for drought, should the dry weather continue.

Further action the EA is taking includes:

  • Frequent river monitoring and 50% increase in incident response for this time of year – mostly associated with extreme hot weather and prolonged dry conditions.
  • Working closely with water companies to ensure they are following drought plans and implementing actions in a timely way.
  • Robust regulation including increasing the number of inspections for businesses abstracting water to ensure compliance with licences.
  • Operating strategic water transfers to help maintain river flows.
  • Moving staff to affected areas to deal with increasing demand for incident response and regulatory work.
  • Leading by example – from late July, not cleaning EA fleet vehicles or office windows to avoid unnecessary water usage.

Around the country, water companies have enough water to maintain supplies if resources are managed properly and if the public use water wisely but a dry end to the summer and dry autumn could see the risk of restrictions and further environmental impacts spread across the country.

Reducing the amount of water we use helps protect the environment and conserves supplies during extended periods of dry weather. There are a number of ways the public can use water wisely including:

  • Avoid using sprinklers, use hosepipes sparingly and don’t water your lawn – it will recover quickly when rain returns
  • Ditch the paddling pool and head to the beach – find your nearest bathing water
  • Water plants after 9pm – the water is less likely to evaporate
  • Fit a water butt, so when the rain comes you’ll have stored water for your garden
  • Take a shorter shower
  • Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth
  • Always put full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher

You can find more water saving tips at waterwise

Link: Press release: Environment Agency responds to impacts of dry weather
Source: Environment Agency

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News story: National Drought Group – Chairman’s statement

The National Drought Group (NDG), chaired by the Environment Agency’s Chief Executive, brings together government departments, water companies, environmental groups and others to coordinate action to maintain water supplies and manage the other risks associated with drought. The NDG convened today (Monday 23 July) to assess the present situation and coordinate plans for the weeks ahead.

The present situation and the prospects

We are in a continuing period of prolonged hot and dry weather. June 2018 was the driest June since 1925, with a rainfall total for England of only 15 mm.

One water company, United Utilities, has announced its intention to impose a hosepipe ban (“Temporary Use Ban”) in parts of the North West from 5 August. The other water companies do not currently intend to introduce hosepipe bans, and there is no threat to essential public water supplies. But continued dry weather into autumn could see the risk of some further restrictions and further environmental impacts across the country.
Action we are taking

The water companies, the Environment Agency and others are taking action to reduce the risk of further water restrictions and to ensure that water users and the environment itself continue to get the water they need. Participants agreed to step up their activity on all fronts.

The water companies are stepping up action to sustain a reliable water supply to their customers. They:

  • Have put additional resources in place to do so.
  • Are implementing their contingency drought plans as appropriate.
  • Are actively advising customers on water efficiency and offering free water saving devices.
  • Are stepping up their efforts to find and fix leaks to protect supplies and help reduce the risk of further hosepipe bans
  • Are taking a range of other steps to sustain supply, including water trading between companies and additional measures to keep farmers and other customers supplied with a particular focus on vulnerable customers
    The Environment Agency is
  • Actively monitoring the weather, water situation and the environment, analysing the prospects and sharing its analysis with others.
  • Working with the water companies to ensure they are following their drought plans and implementing actions in a timely way.
  • Working with businesses, farmers and others who abstract water under licence from the EA to manage down demand and protect the environment, using its regulatory powers as necessary.
  • Stepping up engagement to encourage the public and others to cut down on non-essential water use.
  • Operating water transfers such as the Shropshire Groundwater Scheme to help maintain river flows for water supply and the environment.
  • Stepping up its incident response to ensure the environment is protected – responding to 50% more hot weather incidents, including fish kills.
  • Moving its operations to higher alert status and increasing staff resources to support its own work and those of partners in affected areas.
  • Leading by example: EA fleet vehicles and office windows will not be cleaned to avoid unnecessary water usage.

Other partners

  • The National Farmers Union (NFU) and farmers are working closely with the EA, Internal Drainage Boards, water companies and Defra to manage the situation and sustain farming production, including through water trading and abstraction restrictions that are now in place in some catchments.
  • The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) have produced top tips for farmers on coping with drought and heat.
  • The Canal and Rivers Trust (CRT) are closing some navigations to save water, providing information to boat users on the situation and asking them to consider sharing locks where possible – as they always do in summer.
  • The Angling Trust have distributed guidance to their members on fishery management during hot and dry weather. Anglers can report any fish in distress to the Environment Agency hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
  • Other partners are taking action to preserve water supplies, sustain economic and leisure activity and protect as far as possible the environment, rivers, lakes and wildlife.

Advice to the public

Please use water wisely. Prolonged dry weather and localised drought is not unusual. Water companies plan for periods of exceptionally low rainfall. There is enough water for all if water resources are managed properly. All of us can play a role. We encourage everyone to follow the advice of their water company and use water wisely. This will help protect the environment and the economy, and reduce the risk of further water restrictions.

Enhanced coordination and next NDG meeting

The NDG agreed to step up coordination between its members to maintain a common assessment of the situation and ensure the closest possible cooperation to address the current challenges; and agreed to meet again on 29 August.

Link: News story: National Drought Group – Chairman’s statement
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: £40m extra funding to better protect thousands of homes against flooding

Thousands of properties across England will be better protected against the threat of flooding thanks to a multi-million pound investment by the government, Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey confirmed today (Friday 20 July).

Across the country 13 flood schemes will benefit from £40 million of additional funding which will unlock flood defence schemes and help support economic growth and regeneration in areas that have suffered from flooding in recent years.

The additional funding, first announced in the budget, adds to millions of pounds of government grant-in-aid already allocated to these projects and partnership funding already secured. It will help leverage an additional £24 million from other sources, enabling the flood schemes to go ahead. In total, more than 7,000 properties will be better protected against flooding, including over 5,000 homes. This additional money is part of our £2.6 billion investment from 2015 to 2021 to fund 1,500 flood defence schemes which will better protect 300,000 homes across the country.

Environment Minister Thérèse Coffey said:

This extra funding for flood defences will unlock schemes that will better protect thousands of homes and businesses against flooding, supporting regeneration in important towns and villages in the north and coastal communities.

It will boost our resilience as a nation and help our communities to grow and prosper.

In the historic English Channel tourist town of Weymouth, £1.2 million will improve the harbour wall, reducing flood risk to 450 properties and helping to kick start the regeneration of Weymouth town centre.

More than £10 million is also being awarded to a scheme to protect deprived communities in the St. Austell Bay area of Cornwall. The funding will unlock an additional £4.8 million of partnership funding contributions and is additional to £13.4 million of grant-in-aid which has already been allocated to the scheme. The funds will support an integrated regeneration partnership project, which will help to reduce flood risk and develop plans for new housing and community green space.

Five flood schemes in the north of England will receive almost half of the total funding – £17.4 million- in a boost to the Northern Powerhouse. Rochdale in Greater Manchester will receive a total of £5 million to develop one of the largest inland flood schemes in the region. The defences in Rochdale will increase the level of flood protection to 1,000 residential properties as well as critical infrastructure such as the tram network, a bus station, a grid sub-station and a waste water treatment works.

Eight miles to the west, £7 million has been awarded for new flood defence work around the River Irwell in Bury and Radcliffe as a first step towards the development of a new £46 million flood defence scheme, better protecting 870 properties. In addition to raising flood defences at key locations along the river’s edge another key aspect of the scheme will be the creation of a wildlife habitat and amenity areas for the public by setting defences further back from the river.

The new funding for flood defences in the north of England adds to the £3.4 billion already invested into the Northern Powerhouse to build a more prosperous and inclusive economy where everybody has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Minister Thérèse Coffey added:

The north of England is a hotbed of culture, innovation and growth and this multi-million investment in flood schemes will help protect more than 2,700 homes and businesses from flooding.

The defences will also enhance the environment and bolster economic growth as part of our commitment to better protect 300,000 homes from flooding by 2021.

Over the past three years, the Environment Agency has completed more than 400 new flood schemes to better protect more than 142,000 homes. In addition to building hard defences, it has improved its response by investing in new technology and equipment like temporary flood barriers, pumps and 6,500 trained staff across the country.

Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, said:

Across the country we are seeing more extreme weather, which makes the Environment Agency’s role to protect people, homes and businesses from flooding even more important.

From 2015 to 2021 we will reduce the risk of flooding for at least 300,000 homes so this £40million is another welcome boost to achieving that. It is great news for communities – not only will it help us build flood schemes but it will also help wider economic growth.

Further information:

A table with details of the schemes is below.

Project Location Additional funding (£m) Potential leveraging of partnership funding contributions (£m)
Egremont, Skirting Beck defence improvements Cumbria 1.60 4
St Austell Bar Resilient Regeneration Project – Par & St Blazey Cornwall 10.79 4.8
Portreath Flood Alleviation Scheme Cornwall 1.50 0.5
Paul stream channel/culvert refurbishments Cornwall 0.68 0.1
Great Yarmouth Flood Defence improvements Norfolk 5.40 1.5
Wiggenhall, Tidal River Bank improvements – Great Ouse Tidal Embankments Norfolk 0.20 0.1
River Roch, Rochdale & Littleborough Flood Alleviation Scheme Greater Manchester 5.00 2.0
Radcliffe & Redvales Flood Risk Management Scheme Greater Manchester 7.00 2.0
Humber, Winteringham and South Ferriby tidal defence improvements North Lincolnshire 1.90 5.6
Corbridge Flood Alleviation Scheme Northumberland 0.14 0.4
Weymouth harbour wall improvement works Dorset 1.20 Additional contributions being secured as part of the development of the wider strategy to further improve defences.
Fowlea Brook Flood Risk Management Scheme Staffordshire 0.5 0.5
Holderness Drain Flood Alleviation Scheme & East Hull and Gt Culvert Yorkshire 3.70 2.6

Link: Press release: £40m extra funding to better protect thousands of homes against flooding
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Boaters’ views sought in consultation on proposed charges

Boat owners who keep or use a boat on waterways managed by the Environment Agency are being encouraged to have their say in plans to increase charges.

A public consultation into proposed increases to boat registration charges for 2019-20 and 2020-21 launched today and will run until the 30 August 2018.

The Environment Agency is the second largest navigation authority in the UK and is responsible for more than 1,000 km of navigable waterways including the non-tidal River Thames, River Great Ouse and Upper Medway Navigation.

The proposed charges form part of plans to create a financially sustainable service on waterways used by almost 30,000 boats. Currently the cost of running the service far exceeds the income generated from charges, risking a reductions in the levels of maintenance of waterway structures such as locks and the standard of customer service boat users expect.

The two year proposal gives time to complete a wider review of navigation charges alongside bringing in other measures to make the waterways less reliant on government grant-in-aid funding.

Mark Ormrod, the national manager for navigation at the Environment Agency, said:

Our navigation service plays an important role in protecting our waterways and supports both recreation and business for thousands of people.

This consultation is a valuable opportunity for our customers to tell us what parts of our service are most important and give us their ideas about how we should fund them so I would encourage as many boaters as possible to take part.

An increase in charges is essential to work towards creating a sustainable service that covers the cost of maintaining our valued waterways and delivering a safe and efficient service for our customers.

The proposed increases will raise an additional £930k to invest in the waterways over the proposed 2-year period. The increases by waterway are:

  • River Thames: 5.7%
  • Anglian Waterways: 7.5%
  • Upper Medway Navigation: 10%
  • Unpowered and boats covered by joint registration agreements: 7.7%

Subject to the consultation response, new charges could be implemented from 1January 2019 on the River Thames and 1 April 2019 for our Anglian Waterways and the Upper Medway Navigation.

To take part in the consultation, please visit GOV.UK

Link: Press release: Boaters’ views sought in consultation on proposed charges
Source: Environment Agency

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Press release: Environment Agency supports water restrictions in the North West

The Environment Agency supports United Utilities plans for water restrictions across the North West to help reduce demand for water during this period of prolonged dry weather and protect the environment as well as public water supplies.

Although the region has seen some periods of rainfall in localised areas, over two very dry months, we have seen a rapid decline in reservoir levels in the North West and we have started to see significant impacts on the local environment.

The Environment Agency uses regulatory powers to manage water availability to maintain essential supplies for people and the environment and have been responding to impacts on the environment due to the dry weather over the last few months. Environment Agency teams have stepped up incident response as well as regulation of those abstracting water to ensure the environment is protected.

Environment Agency teams respond 24/7 to environmental incidents to protect people and the environment and have received a sharp increase in reports of environmental incidents in the North West, with 25 per cent of July’s estimated reports received in just the first three days.

Incidents can either be caused or exacerbated by the hot, dry conditions – such as fish in distress, or fish caught in pools due to flow flows, reports of Blue-Green algae, or moorland fires. Teams have been carrying out fish rescues, including one in Borrowdale, Cumbria, on Saturday and attending fish kill incidents exacerbated by dry conditions, such as that at Pigs Lee Brook, Bury, Greater Manchester, on Friday.

Environment Agency teams are meeting with affected groups including farmers to provide practical advice about conserving water and planning for prolonged dry weather. We have carried out abstraction licence checks, visited critical spray irrigators, carried out water abstraction visits, advised businesses and farmers on water usage, and inspected rivers where the flows are lowest.

Hydropower turbines have been checked for compliance including fish-pass and weir flows, and we have been on site monitoring air quality in response to the Saddleworth moorland fires. Teams are monitoring for environmental impacts across the region, and taking action to protect the environment.

Jim Ratcliffe, Environment Agency Drought Manager, said:

United Utilities plans for a temporary usage ban is a responsible measure to help preserve public water supplies and protect the environment given the impacts we are seeing from the dry weather.

Household water restrictions such as those proposed by United Utilities can reduce the demand for water by up to 10% – which is significantly more than changes to abstraction permits, or using other sources. This will help us balance the need of people through public water supplies, whilst protecting the sensitive natural environment.

Each week, our hydrology experts monitor river flows and groundwater to see how much water there is and plan accordingly. Just like in a flood scenario, we have put robust and well tested plans in place during this period of dry weather, ensuring our demand for water is managed in the best possible way.

Water is a precious resource and we always advise that businesses, farmers and householders use water wisely – especially during a period of dry weather – and to follow the advice of their water company. We all need to increase the amount of water we save to protect our natural environment and drinking water supplies.

As always, if people see any environmental impacts due to dry weather, such as fish in distress, please report it to the Environment Agency incident line on 0800 80 70 60 so we can investigate and take action.

The Environment Agency continues to work with United Utilities to ensure that, at all times, we make the best use of the water available and minimise any potential impacts to people, the environment and tourism should the dry weather continue.

Cumbria’s unique geography makes it sensitive to high and low rainfall and the Environment Agency works with communities throughout the year to manage this.

During dry spells it’s not unusual for some rivers and lakes in the North West to deplete quickly, during even short periods of low rainfall, and they tend to recover quickly when the rain returns.

If we have intense rainfall on dry or compacted ground it runs off rapidly making river levels rise rapidly. This can cause localised flooding so it is possible to have floods during prolonged dry periods.

Link: Press release: Environment Agency supports water restrictions in the North West
Source: Environment Agency