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Suffolk's rivers fail to meet national quality targets, report says

BBC WoodbridgeBBC
Concerns have been expressed about the River Deben after high levels of E.coli was found in the water

No rivers in Suffolk currently meet government targets for good water quality, a report found.

The Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust said it was a national target for all watercourses to achieve a "good" or "good potential" status by 2027.

"We currently have no rivers that meet this criteria," the trust said.

The Environment Agency said "water quality and the ecological health of rivers must improve."

A spokesperson added: "The main sources of pollution are agriculture and the water industry. As more people look to England's rivers for recreation, we all need to up our game and Suffolk's rivers are no different."

Most rivers only managed to meet a "moderate" ecological status and "failed" to meet the required chemical status.

Suffolk County Council's flood risk management committee, which is due to meet on 17 May, has been asked to take action to improve its rivers and water sources by opposition councillors from the Green, Liberal Democrat and Independent group, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Liberal Democrat councillor Penny Otton said: "Suffolk rivers are in a terrible condition and pose a serious danger to health. This cannot be allowed to carry on."

LDRS River Orwell, IpswichLDRS
No river in Suffolk, including the River Orwell, has met government standards for quality

The group has called on the council to allocate more resources to develop drainage and sewerage management plans, and set up a project to tackle pollution run-off from roads.

Despite the river pollution, the report said designated bathing water sites in Suffolk - Felixstowe, Southwold and Lowestoft - were all classed as "excellent" or "good" in annual ratings by the Environment Agency.

BERRYPHOTOGRAPHICS Protest against River Deben pollutionBERRYPHOTOGRAPHICS
A protest march through Woodbridge in April calling for more action to tackle the pollution in the River Deben

A report by the House of Commons' environmental audit committee in January said 14% of English rivers had a good ecological status, with pollution from plastics, agriculture, sewage and roads contributing to a "dangerous chemical cocktail" polluting waters.

Protesters marched through Woodbridge last month to highlight the River Deben's pollution.

Evidence from the River Waveney Trust highlighted further water quality issues from Diss and "downstream to the confluence with the River Dove".

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