March for Clean Water
Ella Garrud
Wilder Communities Officer
Sussex Wildlife Trust is calling on people living in Sussex to join Trust staff to ‘March for Clean Water’ on Sunday 3 November 2024.
Thousands of people will unite in the centre of London to demand action to protect our rivers, lakes, reservoirs and seas. Everyone is invited – from bathers, swimmers, paddlers, waders, to anglers, sailors, surfers, rowers and all other water-lovers, and all members of the public.
River Action is organising this peaceful and legal march, supported by a coalition over 100 nature, wildlife, and community groups – including The Wildlife Trusts, RSPB and WWF.
High-profile campaigners and celebrities such as Chris Packham, Liz Bonnin and Joe Lycett have also backed the campaign.
Our waterways are in crisis – in England, only 15% of rivers reach good ecological health standards, and toxic chemicals are found in 100% of rivers. In 2023 alone, raw sewage was discharged into waterways over 500,000 times.
UK rivers are no longer suitable homes for wildlife, and they are not fit for people to swim in. This is an ecological and public emergency – and one which we, and the public, want to see addressed immediately.
River Action, along with the supporting organisations, is asking the UK Government to put an end to the travesty of our polluted rivers, lakes, sea and reservoirs by:
- Reforming Regulation – conduct an immediate root-and-branch review of Ofwat & the Environment Agency to put a complete stop to any industry knowingly and wantonly polluting our waters for profit and greed.
- Enforcing the law – the laws and regulations are already in place that can end water pollution. The new Government must uphold and enforce them.
- Stopping ‘pollution for profit’ – make sure ALL polluting industries invest here and now for the long term; upgrading infrastructure, reducing water wastage and leaks, helping farmers restore habitats, increasing efficient water use everywhere.
The exact assembly point and route is yet to be confirmed – more information will follow.
Nikki Hills, Director of Communities at Sussex Wildlife Trust said,
"Sunday 3rd November will see thousands of people come together, united against the continued pollution and environmental degradation of our waterways. Not only are our rivers, lakes, reservoirs and seas vital habitats for a vast array of wildlife, they are also essential to our survival, providing us with drinking water and help to regulate climate change. Join us in London to march for clean water and make your voices heard.”
Find out more, and register for the march at: https://marchforcleanwater.org/
Comments
Very much support this action. A critical point for the calls for action is to resource Ofwat and especially the EA to monitor and enforce the regulations effectively – any insider will tell you how much the staffing levels have been minimised over the years making action against offenders a rarity rather than the norm. Without easing the limitations on staffing/expenditure, the new government will not make any impact on the years of mismanagement by the previous government.
10 Oct 2024 10:29:00
Too old to make journey for the March on the 3rd. Nov. but how can we help in any other way?
Good luck with the March!
10 Oct 2024 10:30:00
not sure if I can make it – will depend on time etc, but have put it in my diary and would like more details.
10 Oct 2024 11:16:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thanks for your message, all the details can be found here
I feel the new goverment is not showing any change in its attitude towards water companies and what they are allowed to get away with. Any other business behaving like this would have been disbanded years ago.
10 Oct 2024 11:36:00
Please sign me up for the March
10 Oct 2024 11:37:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thank you for your support, all details for the March can be found here
Disabled so won’t be with you in person but sending my thanks to everyone who does support you in taking action on such a very essential issue.
10 Oct 2024 11:45:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thank you for your support
I will come if I possibly can. Please send details.
10 Oct 2024 11:58:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Great to hear - all the details can be found here
We all have to stand up and be counted on this issue. The Government must see our strength of feeling and understand that ensuring good quality water in our rivers and seas is a nonnegotiable issue, which is currently being abused for profit by the water companies.
10 Oct 2024 12:58:00
I would like to join.I swim and paddle board and use the SSSR app
10 Oct 2024 13:04:00
Please sign me up for the March
10 Oct 2024 13:36:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Delighted you will be attending
great to see you publicising this critical march with its demands, I am going with hopefully a joint effort from XR Lewes and Ouse Valley and Love Our Ouse. Whatever happens I intend to be there, water is the source of all life on our precious island / planet and we are at a turning point
10 Oct 2024 14:05:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Thank you
Great idea , hope to be there .
10 Oct 2024 17:07:00
I’ll be there
10 Oct 2024 19:17:00
Support this action and would like to join so keep me in the loop with information please.
10 Oct 2024 20:32:00
The laws must be changed to stop the investment companies who own our water inferstructure using the risk of flooding to discharge into the rivers and seas. This is so important
10 Oct 2024 23:14:00
Hope this takes off and maybe in other areas later as I live in Chichester and would prefer not to struggle around London which I rarely visit
11 Oct 2024 06:10:00
Essential amenities should be maintained for the good of the population and the environment, NOT to line the pockets of the bosses. These amenities should never have been privatised. Worse still, England’s water companies are majority owned by foreign companies with no direct interaction with our environment. England’s water companies are a disgraceful and should be re-nationalised and run gor the good of the population and the environment.
11 Oct 2024 07:24:00
Please will always remember to give a good shout for protecting the seas along our coastline? While it is vitally important to protect our waterways we must share stories about and protect the sea and marine environments too. Thank you for this and everything you do
11 Oct 2024 07:45:00
I would like to come, please sign me up. Thank you!
11 Oct 2024 13:46:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
Great that you're coming. Thank you
Let’s hope this works!
15 Oct 2024 10:14:00
Please sign me up for the March
15 Oct 2024 21:15:00
Sussex Wildlife Trust:
We look forward to seeing you there.
Love the Blue River 💙 idea, hoping Media coverage supports this: Water is Life 💙 planning to be there. Thanking all who are organizing 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
01 Nov 2024 08:47:00