Water Action Day: A Splash Hit!

Despite record-breaking temperatures across Suffolk, I was delighted to welcome more than 70 people to our Water Action Day in Bury St Edmunds on Friday 26 June. The turnout showed just how much people care about the future of our waterways.

The event, Dirty Business? The Future of Britain's Water, brought together representatives from the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP), the River Lark Catchment Partnership (RLCP), Bury Water Meadows Group and local government for a panel discussion on water quality, biodiversity, chalk stream restoration and the future of the water industry. The discussion was followed by an audience Q&A, giving residents the opportunity to put their questions directly to the expert panel.

The event comes ahead of the Government's forthcoming Water Bill and forms part of mu ongoing campaign to improve the health of our waterways. As a citizen scientist, I have undertaken water quality testing on the River Linnet, identifying harmful levels of ammonia, and recently helped re-establish the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Chalk Streams to champion the protection of these globally rare habitats.

I'd like to thank our excellent panel and everyone who attended for such a thoughtful discussion. We all want to see cleaner rivers, healthier ecosystems and stronger protections for our internationally important chalk streams.

For too long, our waterways have suffered from pollution, underinvestment and weak regulation. I believe the time has come to renationalise the water industry, putting investment, environmental protection and public accountability ahead of private profit.

I am committed to working with local organisations, environmental groups and Ministers to improve water quality, strengthen protections for Suffolk's rivers and chalk streams, and ensure local voices help shape the future of water policy.