The Government has declared severe drought in parts of Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, East Sussex and West Sussex. The South East and South West have experienced their driest April to September in over a century, impacting reservoir levels in that area.

The Rivers Trust is warning that the latest river monitoring data released today by the Environment Agency does not provide a full picture of river health as it leaves out ‘low risk’ rivers and harmful chemicals.

Southern Water is installing nearly 20 monitors along the rivers Test, Itchen and Blackwater, offering half-hourly updates on the health of the chalk streams.

Northumbrian Water is investing £51 million to install data-gathering monitors across rivers, streams and becks across the North East that will help monitor river quality and allow teams to respond quicker to any problems or issues.

It has been three months since Water UK launched the National Storm Overflow Hub – an interactive map showing the operation of every storm overflow in England. Maps showing data on storm overflows for Wales and Scotland are also available to browse.

People visiting or living near Lake Windermere, the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge or the River Nidd in Yorkshire are being asked to become citizen scientists by providing a range of information, about what they can see at the sites, to help shape future plans to improve water quality.

Southern Water has announced that work to innovate as part of its wider goal of driving down use of storm overflows has been recognised with two projects awarded a share of Ofwat’s Innovation Fund.

Ahead of the 2024 bathing season, 27 new bathing water sites in England have been designated in the government’s largest ever rollout.

Researchers at the University of Stirling have been awarded a £670,000 grant to develop a new system for monitoring freshwater quality in the UK.

Water and sewage companies in England have today apologised for not acting quickly enough on sewage spills and announced plans to invest £10 billion – more than triple current levels – in a new National Overflows Plan, enabling the biggest modernisation of sewers since the Victorian era.