Dear Volunteers and Supporters,
We wish you a very happy new year.
It feels as though 2025 could be a significant year for the water industry in England. The Clean River Kent Campaign was founded in the autumn of 2021. Since then the groundswell of public concern about the state of our inland waterways has taken off.
The Government has established the Independent Commission on Water which will report by June 2025 on the future of the water industry and its regulation. Meanwhile a Bill which will introduce some more immediate measures to tackle inappropriate bonuses, to uphold the law, and to ensure that every sewage outlet is monitored is on its way through Parliament.
Three years ago this would have seemed impossible. CRKC is proud to have contributed – both locally and as part of the national campaign.
As volunteers and supporters you have played a vital part in this – supporting our campaign, being part of our Citizen Science programme, raising funds, attending our Open Events, spreading the word, and taking practical action. We couldn’t have done it without you.
After 3 years of CRKC it seems a good time to reflect on some of our achievements:
Our Citizen Science projects have highlighted serious problems including high levels of E. coli at all 6 locations on the river Kent which were tested; nutrient testing indicating high levels of both Phosphate-P and Nitrate-N at some locations in the river Kent and its tributaries (to be published shortly); and now the Microbial Source Tracking study which will tell us more about where the E. coli in the river come from (results will be available in early 2025).
Working with the Staveley with Ings Parish Council, we persuaded United Utilities to invest in a combined project for Staveley village and Staveley Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) to prevent sewage in the streets and reduce the sewage discharges at the WwTW to no more than an average of 10 per annum. The replacement of Burneside Pumping Station is also due to go ahead in 2025, and improvements at Kendal should be in the pipeline from 2030.
We have encouraged local people to engage with the river – perhaps through the regular river clean ups with the Lakeland Canoe Club and Trash Free Trails, or by enjoying the beautiful photographs in the CRKC calendar for 2025 (previewed at the exhibition in late 2023), or by supporting local organisations such as the South Cumbria Rivers Trust with their river studies.
Within this we have focused on children and young people – river dipping sessions, school presentations, an art display at Staveley Primary School, and participating in a film made by students at Kendal College.
We have made effective connections with the local media, and have established a CRKC social media presence and website. We have a banner and a series of leaflets available for events.
We have steadily developed local partnerships – to make best use of the information held by organisations such as the Environment Agency and Natural England, and at the same time to monitor whether they are using their powers to protect our local rivers with their unique ecology.
We work with local organisations such as the Kent (Westmorland) Angling Association, National Trust, Natural Kendal, and the Penrith to Kendal Land Recovery Project, and have also supported and worked with other local river groups.
At a national level CRKC is recognised as a founding member of the national campaign for clean rivers, and is now a member of the national Sewage Campaign Network.
CRKC applied for Bathing Water Status in 2022, but, because the criteria included a minimum of 100 people swimming at any one site, was unsuccessful. The criteria are now under review, and CRKC met with the Defra team to argue that the application process should recognise the special features of upland rivers.
We have fundraised over the 3 years, and thank all our sponsors. Local councils and partners have continued to generously support our Campaign, and over the last 2 years we have also been successful in securing substantial grants from the Patagonia Foundation and Woodleight Impact.
Three years in, it feels as though CRKC is at a pivot point. We therefore plan to take some time in January-February to review our priorities, before agreeing the priorities and programme for 2025. Please let us know if you would like to be part of this process – via istoddart@gmail.com.
Thank you again for your help and support through 2024, and we look forward to continuing to work together in 2025!
Isobel