The UK Water Partnership (UKWP) has published a new white paper calling for urgent, coordinated action to address declining river health and rebuild public trust in the management of the UK’s water environment.
Titled River Health & Restoring Public Trust, the report has been produced for UKWP by AECOM, ARC Limited and Northumbria University. It sets out a collaborative roadmap aimed at improving river conditions while addressing widespread concerns over accountability, transparency and governance.
River health and public confidence at a critical low point
The white paper highlights growing public concern that rivers across the UK are in crisis, with pollution from sewage discharges, agriculture, industry and urban runoff widely perceived to be degrading water quality and ecological health.
As pressures on rivers intensify due to pollution, climate change and fragmented governance, the report notes that public trust in those responsible for managing the water environment has fallen to historic lows. Public engagement has shifted from passive concern to active demand for visible and measurable change.
A call for collective responsibility across the water sector
The report is positioned as a call to action for all stakeholders involved in the water environment. It sets out three core recommendations directed at regulators, water companies, industry, agriculture, highways authorities and urban planners, environmental organisations, and national and local government departments.
These recommendations emphasise the need for swift, decisive and collaborative action to address both the direct impacts on river health and the wider loss of public confidence in water governance.
Rebuilding trust alongside environmental outcomes
According to the authors, restoring river health cannot be separated from rebuilding trust. The paper argues that long-term improvement will require stronger coordination across sectors, clearer accountability, and greater transparency in decision-making, monitoring and communication.
By aligning environmental outcomes with public expectations, the white paper aims to support a more resilient, trusted and effective approach to protecting the UK’s rivers for future generations.
