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.
The Clean Water Bill is expected to start its journey through Parliament in late 2026.
Use our simple form to tell your MP that they can fix water - urgently
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.
The new Water Bill must include three essential reforms:
- Local control for water
- 'Re-wire' water companies
- Treat water as critical national infrastructure
Now is the time to treat water as the critical national infrastructure it is. A healthy water system can protect everyone against flooding, drought, wildfire, ill health, food shortages, and help build a more prosperous society.
We can fix the whole system and put people and nature at its heart.
We've joined forces with other environmental groups
We've also joined forces with other environmental groups and are backing three shared priorities, which align with and complement the 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.
You can help make these reforms happen
You can be part of the push for a new law that will hold polluters to account and help protect our environment. When we fix nature, we can fix so much more.
Use our simple form to tell your MP that they can fix water - urgently
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
- A vision for water
Action for chalk streams
Linked to these reforms, Wildlife Trusts continue to campaign for better protection for chalk streams. We ran a campaign in early 2026 that saw nearly 5,500 people respond to a Government consultation on new planning rules - calling upon the Government to bring in greater planning protections for chalk streams.
These rare and unique ecosystems deserve to be better protected from the impacts of new development, including from habitat destruction, abstraction and sewage discharges. We're calling for action for chalk streams through the Clean Water Bill and other routes.
