Press Release - Tackling diffuse water
pollution in England
8 July 2010
The Environment Agency’s approach to tackling
diffuse water pollution, such as run-off from agricultural land and
roads, has not, to date, proved value for money, according to a
report published today by the National Audit Office. The annual
expenditure of £8 million has, to date, had little
impact. Looking forward, the development of River Basin
Management Plans now offers an opportunity to target work by the
Agency and others to improve water quality and tackle this complex
problem.
In 2009, only 26 per cent of rivers, lakes and
other water bodies in England met the required levels of water
quality, as set out in the European Water Framework Directive. The
Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the
Agency do not expect that all English water bodies will achieve
these levels by the 2027 deadline, as it may be disproportionately
costly or not technically feasible. Unless the European Commission
agrees a lower target accordingly, the United Kingdom could be
exposed to considerable financial penalties.
The Agency has not yet sufficiently identified
the extent to which failure to meet standards is due to diffuse
pollution and which sources contribute most to this failure. The
Agency considers the agricultural sector to be the major
contributor to diffuse pollution and this sector has been the focus
of its activities. But there is limited information on the impact
of different farming activities on water pollution and so it is not
possible to establish whether the Agency is effectively targeting
its resources.
Despite the Agency’s efforts to persuade
farmers to recognise their responsibilities for diffuse pollution,
awareness remains low. Seventy-two per cent of farmers that the NAO
surveyed considered that agriculture contributed only a little or
not at all to diffuse pollution, although 68 per cent stated that
they considered the impact on the water environment a fair amount
or a great deal when making decisions on their farm.
The Agency’s advice and the voluntary
initiatives across government on changing farming practices have
had limited impact and need to be co-ordinated. One joint
agency scheme, the England Catchment Sensitive Farming Delivery
Initiative, has led to some farmers making changes that are likely
to reduce levels of pollution, but there was considerable variation
in take-up between areas. Sanctions have proved relatively
ineffective in changing farming practices and progress in improving
them has been slow. The Agency also has limited evidence of
the effectiveness of its inspection activity.
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office,
said today:
“Poor water quality has serious
financial and environmental costs. Many farmers remain unconvinced
of their contribution to the problem, so the Environment Agency
should intensify its efforts to raise awareness and change
behaviour amongst farmers.
“The plans the Agency now has
in place for a set of co-ordinated activities by itself and others
to raise awareness and change behaviour offer an opportunity to
achieve value for money in the
future.”
Notes for Editors
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There are two types of pollution: point
source pollution, which comes from a single identifiable source
such as a factory or sewage treatment works; and diffuse pollution,
which comes from multiple dispersed sources, such as agricultural
land and road run-off. The cumulative cost of pollution in England
and Wales has been estimated at up to £1.3 billion per annum.
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In 2000, the United Kingdom agreed to work
towards meeting new standards for water and ecological quality in
all water bodies (including rivers, canals, lakes and coastal
waters), as set out in the European Water Framework Directive, by
2027 at the latest. The Environment Agency has lead responsibility
for water quality in England.
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Press notices and reports are available from
the date of publication on the NAO website, which is at http://www.nao.org.uk/. Hard copies
can be obtained from The Stationery Office on 0845 702 3474.
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The Comptroller and Auditor General, Amyas
Morse, is the head of the National Audit Office which employs some
900 staff. He and the NAO are totally independent of
Government. He certifies the accounts of all Government
departments and a wide range of other public sector bodies; and he
has statutory authority to report to Parliament on the economy,
efficiency and effectiveness with which departments and other
bodies have used their resources.
Press Notice 39/10
All enquiries to Sarah Farndale, NAO Press Office:
Tel: 020 7798
5350
Mobile:
07985 274 421