Over 90% of rivers in the Norfolk Broads in “failing” health- study
The Norfolk Broads suffered the second-highest average number of sewage spills from storm overflows – a total of 768 hours per outfall
More than 90% of rivers in the Norfolk Broads are in “failing” health, a new study has found.
The findings have been revealed in a report by the Campaign for National Parks (CNP), which assessed the condition of national park waterways across the country.
It found that pollution inside the protected area is twice as bad as outside it nationally.
The Norfolk Broads suffered the second-highest average number of sewage spills from storm overflows – a total of 768 hours per outfall.
The worst-affected site is Dartmoor, with 792 hours, and the South Downs the third worst at 767 hours.
Campaigners have called the findings “scandalous” and have urged the government to do more to protect some of the nation’s precious waterways.
The report assessed the health of rivers in all of the UK’s national parks.
The Broads, which is Britain’s largest protected wetland, has national park status and additional powers related to its management of navigation.
CNP’s study found of the 18 river catchment bodies in the Broads, just 6pc are classed as being in “good” condition.
Experts say 94.4pc are in “failing” health, with 83.3pc considered in “moderate” health and 11.1pc rated “poor”.
The causes of pollution in the Broads are complex but the biggest source of problems is from agriculture and how the rural land is managed.
In addition, the wetland, which is the most biodiverse in the UK, is at the bottom of catchments. This means it is more likely to contain pollutants drained from land, towns and the city of Norwich upstream.
Another source of pollutants is from storm overflows, which water companies use to release wastewater from its sewage system to help protect homes from flooding at times of extreme weather.
Of the nine combined sewage overflows in the Broads, they spilt for an average of 768.39 hours – the second highest figure for all of the UK’s national parks.
While the river health report has revealed significant issues, the health of the Broads’ waterways has improved significantly since the 1980s, when cloudy water became a major issue due to pollution – particularly in the River Bure.
A spokesman for the Broads Authority, which manages the waterways but has no legal powers to tackle pollution, said: “It is, of course, extremely disappointing to read these statistics regarding pollution and water quality in the Broads.
“The challenges facing the Broads area are complex and include factors such as intensive agriculture, sewage systems and the proximity of our waterways to urban settlements.”
"We understand the strength of feeling"
Anglian Water has said it is investing £1 billion into tackling storm spills in the region.
It says persistent high groundwater levels, following record-breaking rainfall in recent years, have exacerbated problems with infiltration of water into its sewage system.
A spokeswoman said: “We understand the strength of feeling around storm spills and are investing more than ever to reduce storm overflow spills and pollutions, and restore river health.
“We recognise customers want us to take swift action to end storm overflow discharges. We intend to meet these expectations and have geared our latest business plan to address the highest priority overflows soonest.”
“The Broads draw millions of visitors"
Dr Rose O’Neill, chief executive of the CNP, described the findings as “scandalous”.
It has sparked calls for the government to overhaul how water is regulated and invest more in efforts to limit pollution.
Dr Mark Collins, chairman of the Broads Society, said: “The Rivers at Risk report casts a cloud over the reputation of England’s most important protected wetland, the Broads. How can the home of a quarter of our threatened species, living in and amongst 200km of lakes and rivers, be dirtier than waterways in any of the other National Parks?
“The Broads draw millions of visitors for walking, cycling, boating and birdwatching. They pay their dues and, along with the local economy that welcomes them, have every right to expect cleaner rivers.”
“Duties enshrined in the Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act 2023, require national and local government, water companies and regulators to protect the Broads and promote their enjoyment by the public. It’s a disgrace that these obligations are being flaunted and ignored.”
Georgia Waye-Barker, communications manager at Norfolk Rivers Trust, added: “With the most significant overhaul of water regulation in decades now underway, we’re calling on the Government to take bold, decisive action.
“That means tougher standards, binding targets and stronger legal duties for regulators and water companies — backed by bans on toxic chemicals and clear deadlines to end storm overflows.”
“We also need serious catchment-scale investment to tackle agricultural, urban and road run-off pollution.”