Data Stream

Oppor-tuna-ties to make your actions effective

Data and Facts - Wading Through Murk

The deeper you go, the murkier the waters, the easier it is to lose your way. Information is your antidote and YOUR lighthouse in the dark.

If your local group wants to dive deeper into local water issues but is drowning in overwhelm, grab the Dirty Water lifeboat to help you navigate the information dead zones and the high tide of bureaucratic BS.

As we all know, the scale of water horror stories and data is massive. We cannot possibly cover everything, but this information will help launch your metaphorical Pink Boat to reach the Tell the Truth and Act Now island.

For instance, Freedom of Information (FoI) requests are a useful tool to obtain information of any kind from those in power, be they regulatory authorities, government departments, local and unitary authorities, or private companies. However, these requests are not always effectively responded to, particularly if you miss any tricks on how to exercise your rights.

Our Data and Fact - Gaps MAKES SURE NO TRICK GOES UNTICKED.

Data and Facts - Gaps

Not Just Sewage Infrastructure Holes To Act On!

Knowing what we don’t or cannot know is just as important as the data that is available to us. There are limits to what government departments or private industry are willing to be transparent about. Knowing these limits means that anyone campaigning in these areas will be able to inform others of the limits of their ability to help Tell the Truth. Knowing what we need to know more about can provide opportunities to campaign to get the responsible bodies to do the right thing.

We cannot Act Now on what we do not or cannot know. Understanding our limitations as active and concerned citizens is important because this can point the way to building connections between those organisations that have pieces of the jigsaw. Where there are data and knkowledge gaps, it is important for NGOs, reporters, legal professionals, whistleblowers, influencers and other conscientious protectors to collaborate to help us act on the environmental destruction happening.

Surprise, surprise, there are lots of gaps in data; information can be inaccessible due to how laws protect the powerful, or finding information you need means wading through bureaucratic systems, or persisting against stonewalling, obfuscation and resource short-comings.

Here's just a few of the darker sink holes and eddy pools to watch out for and begin to think about who else might help... Or skirt the dark pools for now and head straight for the Lighthouse section to plan your campaign route a little more clearly- show me the Lighthouse route.

All Hands on Deck

We would love for you to contact the Dirty Water crew on your local issue to share knowledge and experience!

You can contact us via our Telegram or Mattermost channels or by email dirtywatercampaign@proton.me.

Data & Facts - Gaps: The Law, Makers, Breakers

This is a start in terms of learning where the power lies and where laws are being broken by those who have power to help us improve a key element of our quality of life: healthy and safe places to thrive.

Water Framework Directive Regulations

In England and Wales, the Water Framework Directive Regulations (WFD) form the overarching statutory framework for our water environment. Despite Brexit, this remains in place in terms of regulatory frameworks. Other regulatory frameworks, such as the Urban Waste Water Treatment Regulations 1994 and the Bathing Waters Regulations 2013, also impact environments. However, the WFD provides the overarching targets on conditions of our waters and the framework for achieving them.

WFD Regulations oblige the creation of a River Basin Management Plan for each river basin catchment area. This covers environmental objectives, plus a summary of measures required to achieve those objectives. Current River Basin Management Plans were published in December 2022.

The WFD requires governments to ‘aim to achieve’ Good Ecological Status (GES) for all surface water bodies by 2027.

There are currently no published plans (as at April 2025) for these objectives beyond 2027. While the regulations implementing the WFD will still apply then, they do not provide scenarios beyond 2027. The UK and Welsh governments need to decide what, if anything, should follow this objective after 2027.

The Directive has been described as a "demanding and timely ‘identification and rectification’... requirement" by the Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP) campaign, "but has been inexplicably ignored". Instead, lobbying by the water industry has led to this being sidelined in favour of weaker implementation measures, such as the Storm Overflow Assessment Framework (SOAF). SOAF has been referred to at an OFWAT consultation meeting, as "the mechanism relied on as the means for the rectification of failing storm overflows", according to page 4 of a WASP report linked to elsewhere on this page. (Use: CTRL,F / COMMAND F to search on their name).

More recently, The UK government and EU parliament, under Directives 2005/29/EC and 2011/83/EU, have put forward plans to prevent greenwashing by the commercial sector. Let's watch that space and share updates on our Telegram chat.

Water Industries Act 1991

Environmental Protection Act (EPA)

Water Resources Act

Freedom of Information Act (FoI)

For a great example of how to avoid obfuscation and avoidance by the recipient of an FoI request, take a look here.

If this intrigues you, whet's your appetite, do check out more of the Reverend's FoI requests, by searching his name on this website. Chances are he will have tested water somewhere not too far from where you are.

Environmental Information Regulations (EIR)

Re-Use of Public Sector Information Regulations

Bathing Water Regulations 2013

The Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPS)

This convention is one of a number of international regulatory tools. The Stockholm Convention is a global treaty to protect human health and the environment from chemicals that remain intact in the environment for long periods, become widely distributed geographically, accumulate in the fatty tissue of humans and wildlife, and have harmful impacts on human health or on the environment. You will find other international conventions on the above website.

Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) - Best Available Techniques (BAT)

Note- this is copied verbatim from the government web page: The EU’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) takes an integrated approach to controlling pollution to air, water and land, and sets challenging industry standards for the most polluting industries. The IED aims to prevent and reduce harmful industrial emissions, while promoting the use of techniques that reduce pollutant emissions and that are energy and resource efficient.

Larger industrial facilities undertaking specific types of activity are required to use BAT to reduce emissions to air, water and land.

BAT means the available techniques which are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment. ‘Techniques’ include both the technology used and the way the installation is designed, built, maintained, operated and decommissioned.

BAT reference documents (BREFs) include BAT Conclusions that contain emission limits associated with BAT, which must not be exceeded unless agreed by the relevant competent authority.

2024 Water (Special Measures) Bill

Government web page on new bill "To clean up the Water Sector"

This Bill has attracted critics, who maintain it contains loopholes. One firm of environmental solicitors provide a good analysis of the current overall situation in relation to this, the wider legal landscape and other litigation actions. (XR do not endorse the company posting this article, but welcome the discussion): Strategic Litigation and the Water Crisis

Steve Reed, MP's Water (Special Measures) Bill is, according to commentators inadequate, focusing pretty much entirely on sewage, while saying nothing on landfill/chemicals and leachate.

There will be amendments brought forward to try to improve its environmental aspects (e.g. addressing issues such as the River Wye, where 70% of pollution is from farms). There is also the question of whether fines imposed on companies will merely be viewed as a cost of doing business and ultimately be passed onto customers.

Dirty Water and other groups claim the Bill needs to promote the cessation of water pollution, but not stop there; we need a Citizens' Assembly on Water, given the widespread concerns of the public and failures of existing business models.

Lack of Regulatory Powers

The point here is that power to withhold information or limit its uses means that pollution of our waterways continues. Fragmentation of responsibilities between faceless bureaucrats and boardroom members make our push for clear waters an upstream struggle... Those very agencies we rely on or water companies we pay to endanger our lives seem to be getting away with ... well... even murder... If you don't know how bad abuse of the law by those who hold it can get, just read Zane Gbangbola's story.

Good News!

Check out how the public is fighting back on our 'Legal Campaigns Go Upstream' page

Data & Facts - Legal Campaigns Go Upstream

Communities, angry with the poor legal protections of rivers are being inspired by campaigns by indigenous leaders around the world who campaign to have legal rights assigned to aspects of nature, such as rivers.

This page looks at some of the cases being brought, success stories and ongoing investigations into the state of our precious waters.

Law Shakers: Citizens Turning the Legal Tide

The tide of abuse of power may be turning. More communities are tackling our current corrupt systems of water management. Dirty Water Campaign will be steadily adding important cases that empower communities to fight back here as time goes on. Please share any you become aware of with us on our Telegram Chat.

Ongoing Investigations into the Water Industry and Regulators

Data & Facts - Gaps: Corporate Scum

Corporate Scum

The Public is overwhelmingly behind us

YouGov Survey

The Corporate's Playbook

Data & Facts - Gaps: War on Water

The War on Water

Where there is contaminated land, there are unmapped aquifers and vectors for pollution transmission through soils, ineffective landfill solutions, wildlife and wind. Given the long legacy of military usage of toxins for a variety of purposes, there is evidence to suggest that as with other branches of government, human failure, legislative shortcomings and mistakes will also be endemic to military practice.

When it comes to land owned or previously owned by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), bear in mind that these are areas where technical and chemical 'innovations' will be initially tested. To be clear, it is the MoD that will tend to be on the 'cutting edge', trying out new tools and toxic chemical compounds to undermine the 'enemy'. The public are not permitted to enter MoD designated zones, so external oversight of practices is minimal. Only if concerns reach a government committee, whose discussions are behind closed doors, might there be any accountability for mistakes made.

Given the lack of technical and scientific expertise among ministers scrutinising this government department, achieving any level of balance in 'public interest' versus 'strategic imperative' seems unlikely. Do we trust our leaders to always act in the best interests of people and planet, despite whatever best efforts? What little evidence we share here is no doubt the tip of the iceberg. Look at the track record (That is on those pages that did not get deleted off the internet during the production of this page..!)

Data & Facts - Gaps: Our Anthropocene

Our Anthropocene

Data & Facts - Gaps: Seeking Nature Based Solutions?


Water Restoration Projects - Nature Based

Data & Facts: Where's The Nearest Lighthouse (What Can We Do?)

Given a general lack of transparency and availability of information from authorities and companies, one lever for your group to find information you need is to submit a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. FoI requests are a useful tool to obtain information of any kind from those in power, be they regulatory authorities, government departments, local and unitary authorities, or private companies. That said, FoI requests are not always effectively responded to, particularly if you miss any tricks on how to exercise your rights. FoI requests are a skill worth developing as a group.

Information Resources | Reports, Maps, Data & More

Maps

Please be aware that data catchment and sharing is still evolving. We have been made aware of specific sites, including some which have resulted in death, from contaminated flood water. If you are aware of sites which are missing from this data, please get in touch with us, so we can pass your story onto whomever is working on that issue.


Generic Resources

Background Sources of Information for Outreach, Community Assemblies, Campaigns:


Videos


Podcasts


Government Reports and Information


Organisations and Allies

We will be making a spreadsheet of possible contacts available to view, make a copy of and add your local contacts to, so they can be shared with rebels coming on board and stepping into Dirty Water actions, e.g. outreach events, ceremonies, or assembly organisation. More about this in time, but meantime, here's the current state of play with our Restore Nature Now supporters. Aside from the Restore Nature Now supporting organisations, you will have your own local links, be they allies, or connections with regulatory bodies and their officers, water company employees and board members and more. We want you to bring us your contacts, to help the movement grow our campaigning power for the future. Check in with the Dirty Water Campaign to find out more about building XR's connections with influencers from the grassroots to suited power brokers and corporate players.


Celebrity Connections. Who Are You Following and Engaging With?


Want to Organise Locally?