Maria Miller, MP for Basingstoke, has welcomed the publication on 8 December of the Government’s White Paper “Water for Life”, which she describes as a “call to action” for the protection of our rivers from pollution and over-abstraction. Maria  highlights the damage that has been done to the River Loddon which she says must be halted

and reversed.

The Water for Life White Paper sets out a new approach to water management, with long-term plans to ensure the future water sector is resilient, water companies are more efficient and customer-focussed and water is valued as the precious resource it is.

Maria said: “We have been damaging our rivers in two ways – through too much pollution, and by taking too much water out.  Over-abstraction compounds the problem of pollution, because the less water there is, the more concentrated the pollution will be. This is made even worse by the potential drought conditions that the Environment Agency has been highlighting, which mean that many river flows are notably low.”

Maria added: “The White Paper makes it clear that we must consider the growth in demand for water alongside a realistic picture of the water we have available. This will involve some difficult choices – for example, how do we balance supply and demand of new housing development in an area where our water supplies are so stressed? The need for improved infrastructure and higher environmental standards must be key considerations.”