{{selectedAlertBand.alertDescription}}
{{selectedAlertBand.incident.heading}}
{{alert.alertDescription}}
{{index+1}}
/ {{ alertBandDate.length}}
{{selectedAlertBand.alertDescription}}
{{selectedAlertBand.alertDescription}}
{{selectedAlertBand.alertLinkText}} {{selectedAlertBand.alertLinkText}}
For further updates subscribe
Being the fastest growing region in the country, as the climate changes and there is more intense pressure on our sewers, our rivers need help.
Although we don't own the rivers, we play a key role in making sure our rivers stay healthy and we want to lead the way in helping other sectors think about their contribution to getting river positive.
Working with farmers
Farming has a big impact on water quality, and like us, farmers need healthy rivers to help manage their land. This is especially true in our region, which is the breadbasket of the UK. The East of England’s Fens alone have more than half of the UK’s most fertile land, with agriculture providing a fifth of the nation’s crops and a third of its vegetables.
As part of our third Get River Positive commitment – to support others to improve and care for rivers - our teams are offering farmers and landowners an extra helping hand, in the form of on-hand advice and support and Grants that help make it easier to adopt sustainable farming practices.
RiverCare & BeachCare
Partnering with Keep Britain Tidy we have over 50 RiverCare and BeachCare groups up and down the region conserving our waterways by removing invasive species, enhancing biodiversity, and spotting and reporting pollutions, making our rivers the best they can be.
Preventing blockages
80% of blocked sewers could be avoided if we only flush the 3 Ps: poo, pee and paper.
Wet wipes and other unflushables are often a major source of blockages which mean our sewers can back up and cause pollutions. As part of our commitments, we're championing the bill on banning wet wipes containing plastic – at minimum we think these unflushable products should carry clear, bold warnings about the harm they cause to the environment and the increased risk they pose to sewer flooding. If we could all flush responsibly it would be a key step in our journey to eliminating serious pollutions.
We have a dedicated team working with communities that play an important role in the Keep It Clear project which can be broken down into:
- Activity to educate communities on the right things to flush
- Education in schools to positively influence the next generation
- Network Protection team playing a vital role in reducing repeat blockages
We are also working together with restaurants, cafes and takeaways in partnership with Environmental Compliance and Services (ECAS) to educate on the correct fat oil and grease disposal (FOG) to prevent these from entering our sewers and causing blockages.
Reducing single use plastic
We have several partners who all formed the East of England Coalition, and together have some great tips to reduce our reliance on single use plastic and how to live plastic free. Reducing the amount of plastic, we use is crucial to protecting our rivers and saving our seas. One of the contributions we've made towards eradicating single use plastics is taking over 100,000 bottles a year out of circulation across our parks. We now offer drinks and cups made from sustainable resources. Explore our plastics pledge and how we are reducing single use plastic here.
Together we are working to reconnect people with the region's riverbanks, creating more opportunities for popular recreational activities, such as hiking, boating, hunting, fishing, trapping and birdwatching. Read more about our region's river health and our Get River Positive commitments here.
If you would like to discuss your local river, or issues relating to Get River Positive, you can contact the team on GetRiverPositive@anglianwater.co.uk (this email is manned Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm).