Ullswater

End Water Pollution in National Parks

Every river, lake and stream in England’s National Parks is polluted.

Iconic freshwater sites in National Parks are enjoyed by millions every year, but under the surface lies a dirty secret.  

Of the 880 lakes, rivers and streams across the 13 National Parks in England and Wales, just 5 meet the highest standards we might expect from these Protected Landscapes. A key culprit is sewage pollution and the toxic cocktail of chemicals that flood these fragile ecosystems endangering the health of species, people and entire ecosystems. 

These waters are the lifeblood of the National Parks and have far-reaching impacts beyond their boundaries, the answer is crystal clear; it’s time to clean up our National Parks.

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Healthy water = healthy parks

The lakes, rivers and streams within our National Parks deliver a range of benefits. They are home to a huge variety of wildlife, provide drinking water, support natural flood management, help tackle climate change, and are, of course, much valued by people as places for recreation and relaxation.
Healthy water = healthy parks

River Bradford, Peak District © Peaklass

Healthy water = healthy parks

Cuckmere Haven, South Downs © Hugo Healy

Healthy water = healthy parks

River Ant, The Broads © Justin Minns

Healthy water = healthy parks

Grasmere, Lake District © Rod Hutchinson

Healthy water = healthy parks

River Bovey, Dartmoor © peteholyoak

The problem

The waters in our National Parks are polluted in many ways including nutrient and sediment contamination, toxic chemicals, pesticides, pollution from heavy metals and sewage.

Even in the most pristine rivers and lakes in England’s National Parks, traces of toxic chemicals including mercury and other priority hazardous substances are found. Because of these toxic chemicals, which can remain in the ecosystem for decades, not a single water body in an English National Park is in good overall health. 

Water company sewage pollution is one of the main reasons for failing health in the rivers and lakes of National Parks in England and Wales. The problem relates to a lack of enforcement and poor water company planning: many sewage treatment works are old and undersized. Perversely, many wastewater treatment works in National Parks are designed to much lower standards than those in towns and cities. This is because under UK law, works serving less than 2,000 people are not legally required to use secondary or advanced treatments. These wastewater treatment works are not designed to deal with the huge numbers of people who visit National Parks every year which means more treated and untreated sewage ends up in lakes, rivers and streams. 

The condition of water bodies in National Parks has implications far beyond the boundaries of those Parks with links between the quality of freshwater and the health of our oceans.

water pollution in National Parks

Duration of sewage discharges for each National Park in England and Wales in 2022

Sewage stats

There were 377 sewage releases from storm overflows within the boundaries of National Parks in England and Wales totalling 176,818 hours – equivalent to 7,367 days in 2022 alone.

Sewage in our lakes and rivers is not only unpleasant but it’s also dangerous. People who swim and want to enjoy the water for recreational activities can become seriously unwell from encountering polluted water. Increased phosphorus levels from sewage can be fatal for nature in and out of the water, causing events such as fish die-offs.

Take Action

Pulling the plug on pollution

At Campaign for National Parks we’re working hard for clean water protections across all our National Parks. For far too long, water companies and regulators have largely neglected and ignored National Park status, and it is time that they recognise this international nature designation. It will be impossible to conserve and enhance wildlife and the natural beauty of the Parks without urgent action on water.  

We are calling for strong clean water protections, with legally binding requirements to clean up the lakes, rivers and streams within National Parks. Government, regulators and companies should be required to prioritise National Park waters and take all action necessary to ensure these waterways achieve at least Good Ecological Status by 2027, with High Status achieved in iconic sites such as Lake Windermere and the Broads.

You can help us end water pollution in National Parks by writing to your representative today.

Send a letter to your representative

Cuckmere River

Have you seen our billboards? This year we were awarded advertising space as part of Ocean Outdoor’s annual 'Drops In The Ocean' environmental fund.

Thank you to Ocean Outdoor for allowing us to share our campaign across England and Wales to spread the message to end water pollution in National Parks.

Image: Cuckmere River, South Downs © Hugo Healy

Case Studies

Lake Windermere pollution

Saving Windermere from sewage

Save Windermere, Lake District National Park

Lake Windermere pollution

Saving Windermere from sewage

Save Windermere, Lake District National Park

Lake Windermere attracts thousands of visitors every year to boat, swim, canoe and paddle board. But increasingly the lake is turning green with algal blooms, causing significant fish kills, and people are advised not to go into the water due to hazards to health. In 2022, United Utilities caused 5,904 hours of raw sewage to spill into the Windermere catchment. The Environment Agency permits the company to pour in 13 million litres of ‘treated’ sewage every day. Campaigner Matt Staniek set up Save Windemere to fight for the complete removal of all treated and untreated sewage discharges into the Windermere catchment, taking inspiration from Lake Annecy in France, which was brought back from the brink thanks to strict pollution regulations. Save Windermere is calling for an independent inquiry into the Environment Agency, due to lack of enforcement and weak permits, arguing that as England’s largest and most iconic lake, the regulator should uphold the highest standards.

Llyn Idwal

The only healthy lake in a Welsh National Park?

Llyn Idwal, Eryri National Park

Llyn Idwal

The only healthy lake in a Welsh National Park?

Llyn Idwal, Eryri National Park

Llyn Idwal is a National Nature Reserve and an internationally designated Ramsar wetland surrounded by dramatic mountain scenery. It is a glacial lake at high overall status, with crystal clear waters supporting a variety of rare plants and animals; Charles Darwin was known to visit the area for his scientific work. Managed by a partnership of the National Trust, Eryri National Park Authority and Natural Resources Wales, grazing was abolished in the reserve over 25 years ago, and the habitat has transformed from grassland to dry heathland, with trees such as holly and rowan returning.

River Meon

A rare river deemed too expensive to save

The River Meon, South Downs National Park

River Meon

A rare river deemed too expensive to save

The River Meon, South Downs National Park

The river Meon is a spring-fed chalk stream, one of only around 200 or so in the world. In 2022, it was classed as in ‘moderate ecological status’, with fish numbers, including brown trout and critically endangered eel being low. The likely cause: low river flows due to a combination of water abstraction and climate change. It’s incredibly important to assess the health of the ecosystem but on the Meon, like elsewhere, monitoring has become less frequent due to cuts to the EA’s budget. Despite being in a National Park, and a chalk stream, because it is not a SSSI, it is not considered a priority by the Environment Agency or water companies. It was therefore considered to be “disproportionately expensive” to return the river to full health. But there are steps forward: a partnership including the South Downs NPA reintroduced almost 3,000 water voles; Wessex Rivers Trust is undertaking river restoration; and the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust are showing the positive impact of conservation grazing on the ancient water meadows.

More of our work

Sewage outlet at Sawrey Waterwater Treatment Works

End Water Pollution Appeal

Every single water body in a National Park is polluted, donate today and help us end water pollution in National Parks.

Grasmere - Rod Hutchinson

Clean Water Protections

The lakes, rivers and streams in our National Parks are under threat like never before, we explain the issues facing waterways and our work to end water pollution

Restore Nature Now March in London 2024

About Us

About us, our work and our impact across National Parks in England and Wales.

Sources

The source for our data comes from our 2024 Health Check Report which analysed data from the Environment Agency, Rivers Trust and Natural Resources Wales.

More in depth data on the health of rivers and lakes in National Parks in England and Wales can be found on our clean water protections page.

Data on the water bodies featured in our billboards can be found here.

For any further information or enquiries please email info@cnp.org.uk

 

Main image: Ullswater, Lake District © Rod Hutchinson