South Downs Rivers at Risk: National Park Waterways in Crisis

National Parks in England and Wales, including the South Downs, encompass some of the most biodiverse and important rivers in the country. But new research shows they are being failed by government and water regulators and are now under threat.

A new report from Campaign for National Parks, in partnership with The Rivers Trust, reveals that the average number of hours spilling from a single sewer overflow per year in the South Downs was 767 hours, compared to 549 hours across all National Parks in England and Wales, and 266 hours outside the parks. The Downs was one of five National Parks with a spill rate more than twice that of the rest of the country.

Home to abundant wildlife, and some of the UK’s most treasured landscapes, National Park waterways should be protected to the highest standards, but 90% of rivers in the South Downs fail to meet good ecological status.

Sewage spills, agricultural pollution, and toxic chemicals are risking even the country’s most iconic rivers.

Read the report

Commenting Dr Rose O’Neill, Chief Executive, Campaign for National Parks:
“National Parks like the South Downs should set the gold standard for clean and healthy rivers, but instead they are being ignored and neglected by Government, regulators and water companies. These places are loved by millions of people: if we can’t protect the jewels of our waterways, then we are failing the nation.”

“Government in England and Wales is in the midst of the biggest reform of the water sector in decades: they must not forget places like the South Downs. It’s time to give these waterways the strongest legal protections, the highest standards, and the urgent investment they deserve.”

The report highlights six National Park rivers at risk including the River Meon in the Downs. A rare chalk stream under threat from over-abstraction and climate change, with flows too low to support good ecological health.

In 2024, 29,909 hours of sewage were discharged from water industry combined sewage overflows (CSO) into rivers in the South Downs. Many rural communities within National Parks are below the threshold resident population size where more than basic sewage treatment is legally required, meaning that sewage treatment technologies that are standard elsewhere are not legally required inside National Parks.

Local communities are working tirelessly to protect these waterways. National Park Authorities play an important role as local planning authorities and are active in a wide range of catchment management and river restoration projects but when it comes to tackling the biggest pressures, they have little power and are reliant on the water companies and water regulators to act. Without changes to legislation and legally binding requirements, National Park Authorities and communities are swimming against the current.

With the biggest shake-up of water regulation in decades underway in England and Wales following the Independent Water Commission, Campaign for National Parks is calling for bold action from Ministers:

• Prioritise the Parks: Make National Parks a top priority in water reforms, with the highest ambitions for our most special rivers and a new mandate requiring new water regulators and water companies to act.
• Strengthen the Law: Set legally binding targets to clean up rivers, lakes, and streams in National Parks, including high status for iconic sites such as the Usk and the Broads. Fix storm overflows in National Parks by 2035 and ban toxic chemicals including damaging ‘spot-on’ flea treatments.
• Stop the Sewage: Upgrade sewage treatment works within National Parks so they are fit for purpose, supported by nature-based solutions and strong enforcement.
• Cut Farm Pollution: Tackle agricultural pollution through better regulation and incentives, with targeted action for water through farming schemes in England and Wales.
• Power Up National Park Authorities: Empower, support and fund National Park Authorities to play an even greater role in water and catchment management.