What is happening?
In January 2026 the UK Government published a Water White Paper. The White Paper is designed to overhaul our water system. It takes forward the recommendations of the Independent Water Commission and sets out reforms that will roll out over the next few years, including through a Water Reform Bill.
Although these reforms are initially focussed on England, related changes will follow in Wales. The Welsh Government began this process in February in a Green Paper outlining its proposals.
What do we want to see from these reforms?
The water we depend on as a society depends on healthy freshwater ecosystems. But those ecosystems are in a desperate state. We can't fix water unless we fix nature. That’s why it’s essential that nature restoration is at the heart of the water reforms.
We have joined forces with other environmental groups to support Wildlife & Countryside Link’s ‘Clean Water Now’ campaign. We are backing three shared priorities, which bring together the campaign’s core demands and the closely aligned asks of The Wildlife Trusts.
Together, we are calling for water reforms that will:
- Increase nature-rich land alongside waterways to restore river corridors to their natural form and to tackle pollution. This can be achieved by regional targets for Wilder Riverbanks and by adopting the recommendations of the Making Space for Water coalition.
- Reduce all forms of water pollution, including from chemicals and agriculture. Reforms to environmental permitting to better control pollution from intensive livestock farms will help to achieve this.
- Plan better for water, with all sectors which impact the water system working together to bring freshwaters back to health. This must include cross-sector action to preserve threatened habitats like chalk streams and the use of fines from polluters to restore rivers at catchment scale.
Read our briefings
These briefings set out our priorities for freshwater recovery, which form the basis for our ongoing work to influence the Government’s water reforms.
The case for Wilder Riverbank targets
The case for environmental permitting reform
Help us to protect chalk streams
The Wildlife Trusts are running an action to strengthen planning protections for chalk streams.
