• through collaboration with other key stakeholder organizations such as the Yorkshire Dales Rivers Trust (YDRT), The Environment Agency (EA), Yorkshire Water, environmental organisations, our universities and individual citizens

• We are currently working as part of a Yorkshire-wide AQuA research project with just these aims.
• This follows recent work with YDRT, EA and YW on Oak Beck

There have been 2 major reports ‘Commissions’ this year.
The Cunliffe Report, commissioned by the UK Government Independent Water Commission Final Report focused on improving the current model of our privatised water sector through better regulation and setting up of new regional planning bodies to balance the competing demands on our river catchments in a more holistic way.
It made 88 recommendations that are being considered by Government.
The Peoples Commission report took a broader view, with independent academics tabling and receiving evidence from experts around the world about what ‘worked’ and listening to the public face to face. Their 6 recommendations were to:

1. setup a strategic advisory group of experts
2. transition to public ownership of water
3. reform governance to include worker and service user directors
4. hold those responsible for pollution accountable
5. improve democratic oversight and public participation
6. establish a single regulator for water.

• states that DEFRA, EA and OFWAT have not applied the law, and that ‘exceptional circumstances’ for the dumping of sewage into our rivers means just that - NOT allowing the excuse of inadequate capacity of assets to cope with surface and waste water flow.
• calls for the updating of ‘Permits’ granted by EA to water companies, so that they comply with the law.

• your MP and local councillors to ensure that they are aware of, and active in promoting effective regulation of water in the light of these reports and the impending White Paper on water
• the EA to ask when they will be updating their permits so that they comply with the law. Philip Duffy, CEO of the Environment Agency, Horizon House, Deanery Road, Bristol email them here

• Yorkshire Water have proposed investment in sewage treatment and the sewerage network in their business plan for 2025-2030 Yorkshire Water have proposed investment in sewage treatment and the sewerage network in their business plan for 2025-2030 Read more here and here.

• A document from January 2024 summarises very briefly what NAG did in 2023, with links to two maps showing the results of our sampling in terms of human health and chemical pollution at the 45 locations sampled. View it here. The document also identifies what we don't yet know and therefore what we need to do to fill in those gaps in our knowledge during 2024 and beyond, building on what we have discovered during our 2023 surveys.

• Results from the NAG and other volunteers' Oak and Bilton Becks Outfall Safari will be announced here very soon, plus an opportunity to question EA and YW about follow up activities

• The AQuA project that NAG is involved in will present its findings soon from the September 16th sampling at the Lido to test the validity of our citizen science methods

• The 2026 sampling activities on the Nidd are being planned, and a call for volunteers for quarterly sampling of identified stretches of the Nidd in Spring will go out soon.

Don't forget that NAG has a Facebook page so please keep in touch