Skip to content

Pollution

Despite ongoing improvements, the Thames is still ''Britain's worst river''

by David Hewitt 21 Nov 2010
Despite ongoing improvements, the Thames is still ''Britain's worst river''

Britain's best-known river, the Thames, which flows through central London as well as through historic Windsor and Oxford, is also the country's worst, a new study has found.

Just last month, the UK Environment Agency was celebrating after the Thames was named as the winner of the International Theiss River Prize, beating off the likes of the Yellow River in China and Hattah Lakes in Australia to win the award for the most-outstanding achievement in waterway management and restoration.

"Tighter regulation of polluting industries and our work with farmers, businesses and water companies to reduce pollution and improve water quality, have all helped to make the Thames a living river once again," the Agency's National Conservation Manager, Alistair Driver, said at the time.

However, such jubilation has proven to be short-lived, as Britons themselves have named the Thames as their least favourite out of all of the rivers in England and Wales, thanks largely to its dirtiness and lack of biodiversity.

Responding to the annual study carried out by the Our Rivers campaign – which has the backing of, among others, the WWF, the RSPB, the Angling Trust and the Salmon and Trout Association – members of the public complained that, despite recent improvements, the Thames is still suffering from hundreds of years of lack of investment in sewerage infrastructure, as well as a general lack of urgency when it comes to making the waters cleaner for people and wildlife alike.

In comparison, the Wye, which straddles the England-Wales border has been named as the nation's best river, thanks partly to the fact that its cleanliness and tranquillity make it 'a haven for wildlife' and an ideal place 'to get lost and slow down'.

Such a damning assessment of the Thames by the British public is hardly surprising. According to the Environment Agency's own figures, just 26 per cent of rivers in England and Wales currently meet the cleanliness standards laid out under the European Water Framework Directive.

Moreover, the government department's data also shows that, despite the ongoing improvements of the past three decades, 13 of the 14 sections the iconic river is divided up into are failing to meet the required standards.

Commenting on the most pressing problems facing the Thames, Ralph Underhill, the RSPB's River basin Planning Officer and member of the Our Rivers campaign explained to the Earth Times that, while improvements to water quality levels have been achieved through a focus on direct discharges into the Thames and other rivers, for example through pipes, a broader approach is necessary moving forward.

"Although addressing direct discharges is still important we must also look at the other big sources – nutrient and soils from certain agricultural practices, run off from roads and buildings and physical barriers to fish such as weirs and flood defences," he said.

And, though Britain's current coalition government may be keen on rolling back the state, enhanced cooperation between the government on one hand and private interests such as the agricultural and chemical industries on the other will play a crucial role in cutting down on levels of polluting chemicals and other waste flowing into the nation's waterways.

"We need to see better enforcement of existing regulations, greater uptake of voluntary measures, like the Campaign for the Farmed Environment and more farmers entering land into agreements where they get additional money for protecting and enhancing the environment," Mr Underhill added.

Despite the bleak picture presented by the Our Rivers report, as the recent awarding of the Theiss River Prize served to illustrate, the situation is improving, and the future certainly looks bright for Britain's rivers and the wildlife that lives in them. The coming years will see the completion of the ambitious Thames tunnel, which will go a long way towards addressing the current problem of excess sewerage in the river, while businesses are also becoming increasingly proactive in regulating run-off into freshwater.

But, perhaps above all, the British public are also stepping up their efforts to clean-up the rivers. The fact that the Thames also gained a significant proportion of votes in the 'Best River' category of the study shows is likely to inspire some hope that further water quality improvements are likely, while the numerous local groups working to improve it and its adjoining waterways could potentially play a key role in further boosting standards, particularly if they can get the government on their side.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping