Erick Burgueño Salas
Research expert covering climate change and the water industry
Water quality in the UK - statistics & facts
The water quality in the United Kingdom has been under strong scrutiny in the past few years. Even if the quality of drinking water reaches excellent standards throughout its four nations, the UK has a long way to go when it comes to the ecological status of its surface water bodies and the quality of its bathing spots. With water companies facing strong accusations over pollution, the UK’s water sector is experiencing one of the strongest crises in its history.
Since Brexit, the UK is no longer obliged to follow strict EU environmental standards that have helped clean up continental Europe’s waters. Every country in the UK is now responsible to patrol its own water quality and to reduce water pollution. Nevertheless, serious pollution incidents are still happening in worrying numbers. In the past decade, more than 500 serious pollution incidents from sewage and water supply assets were reported in England, a problem with no foreseeable solution considering the critical state of the water sector.
The bathing water quality in the UK is also in good conditions for the majority of its bathing spots. More than 80 percent of bathing sites in the UK reported at least good water quality in 2022, with Wales at the forefront with 95 percent. Nonetheless, when considering bathing waters of excellent quality, the picture starts turning gray. In Scotland, less than 50 percent of bathing spots reached that status, while for the rest of the UK the share reached some 80 percent. Compared to bathing sites across other European countries, the UK lags behind, with countries like Austria, Greece, and Croatia reporting over 95 percent of bathing sites with excellent conditions.
Overall, water quality in the UK is in a stage of important discrepancies, with consumers receiving high-quality drinking water at their taps but at the same time experiencing a less pleasant scenario at open water bodies. Such situation will be difficult to overcome as long as water companies are still discharging a significant flow of raw sewage into the British waterways, without any measures to hold them accountable.
The dire scenario of rivers and lakes
According to the latest available environmental assessments across the UK, surface water bodies are in critical condition. For instance, in England, only 16 percent of surface waters reached a good or high ecological status, dropping to 14 percent when considering only rivers and lakes. In neighboring Wales, the situation improves, but is still in precarious shape. Less than 40 percent of Welsh surface water bodies reached good ecological status. Across the Irish Sea, the ecological status of surface waters also needs urgent improvement. Approximately 31 percent of rivers and 14 percent of lakes in Northern Ireland had a good or better ecological status, a scenario that has worsened in the past years.Since Brexit, the UK is no longer obliged to follow strict EU environmental standards that have helped clean up continental Europe’s waters. Every country in the UK is now responsible to patrol its own water quality and to reduce water pollution. Nevertheless, serious pollution incidents are still happening in worrying numbers. In the past decade, more than 500 serious pollution incidents from sewage and water supply assets were reported in England, a problem with no foreseeable solution considering the critical state of the water sector.
Things get clearer for drinking and bathing waters
Regarding drinking water, the panorama improves considerably. In 2022, more than 99 percent of all samples taken across the four UK nations reported high drinking water quality compliance. However, it is important to note that the quality can vary depending on the sampling site. As an example, 99.94 percent of samples taken from water leaving the Northern Irish treatment plants complied with the parameters in 2022, while water taken at consumer taps or supply points reported slightly lower results, at 99.88 percent compliance. It might seem like an insignificant difference, but when the health of consumers is directly affected, such gaps could lead to serious issues.The bathing water quality in the UK is also in good conditions for the majority of its bathing spots. More than 80 percent of bathing sites in the UK reported at least good water quality in 2022, with Wales at the forefront with 95 percent. Nonetheless, when considering bathing waters of excellent quality, the picture starts turning gray. In Scotland, less than 50 percent of bathing spots reached that status, while for the rest of the UK the share reached some 80 percent. Compared to bathing sites across other European countries, the UK lags behind, with countries like Austria, Greece, and Croatia reporting over 95 percent of bathing sites with excellent conditions.
Overall, water quality in the UK is in a stage of important discrepancies, with consumers receiving high-quality drinking water at their taps but at the same time experiencing a less pleasant scenario at open water bodies. Such situation will be difficult to overcome as long as water companies are still discharging a significant flow of raw sewage into the British waterways, without any measures to hold them accountable.
