More than 90% of rivers in the Norfolk Broads are in failing health, a new study has found. The findings have been revealed in a report by the Campaign for National Parks (CNP), which assessed the condition of national park waterways across the country. It found that pollution inside the protected area is twice as bad as outside it nationally.
Sewage spills and pollution hotspots
The Norfolk Broads suffered the second-highest average number of sewage spills from storm overflows – a total of 768 hours per outfall. The worst-affected site is Dartmoor, with 792 hours, and the South Downs the third worst at 767 hours. Campaigners have called the findings “scandalous” and urged the government to do more to protect some of the nation’s precious waterways.
The findings in detail
The report assessed the health of rivers in all of the UK’s national parks. The Broads, which is Britain’s largest protected wetland, has national park status and additional powers related to its management of navigation.
CNP’s study found that of the 18 river catchment bodies in the Broads, just 6% are classed as being in “good” condition. Experts say 94.4% are in “failing” health, with 83.3% considered in “moderate” health and 11.1% rated “poor”.
The causes of pollution in the Broads are complex, but the biggest source of problems is from agriculture and how rural land is managed. In addition, the wetland, which is the most biodiverse in the UK, is at the bottom of catchments. This means it is more likely to collect pollutants drained from farmland, towns and the city of Norwich upstream.
Another source of pollutants is storm overflows, which water companies use to release wastewater from the sewage system at times of extreme weather.
Of the nine combined sewage overflows in the Broads, they spilt for an average of 768 hours – the second highest figure for all of the UK’s national parks.
A long-term struggle for cleaner rivers
While the river health report has revealed significant issues, the waterways of the Broads have improved since the 1980s, when cloudy water caused by pollution was a major issue. East Anglia Bylines recently reported on restoration efforts being undertaken on the River Bure.
A spokesman for the Broads Authority, which manages the waterways but has no legal powers to tackle pollution, said: “It is, of course, extremely disappointing to read these statistics regarding pollution and water quality in the Broads. The challenges facing the area are complex and include factors such as intensive agriculture, sewage systems and the proximity of our waterways to urban settlements.”
Water companies under pressure
Anglian Water says it is investing £1bn into tackling storm spills in the region. The company argues that persistent high groundwater levels, following record-breaking rainfall in recent years, have worsened infiltration into its sewage system.
A spokeswoman said: “We understand the strength of feeling around storm spills and are investing more than ever to reduce storm overflow spills and pollutions and restore river health. We recognise customers want us to take swift action to end storm overflow discharges. We intend to meet these expectations and have geared our latest business plan to address the highest priority overflows soonest.”
Campaigners call it a disgrace
Dr Rose O’Neill, chief executive of the CNP, described the findings as “scandalous”. She said the report should spark an overhaul of how water is regulated, with greater investment to limit pollution.
Dr Mark Collins, chairman of the Broads Society, said the report “casts a cloud over the reputation of England’s most important protected wetland, the Broads. How can the home of a quarter of our threatened species, living in and amongst 200km of lakes and rivers, be dirtier than waterways in any of the other National Parks?”
He added that with millions of people visiting each year for walking, cycling, boating and birdwatching, both residents and visitors had a right to expect cleaner rivers. Duties set out in the 2023 Levelling-Up and Regeneration Act, he said, required government, water companies and regulators to protect the Broads and promote their enjoyment. “It’s a disgrace that these obligations are being flaunted and ignored.”
Georgia Waye-Barker, communications manager at Norfolk Rivers Trust, said the government must take bold, decisive action. She called for tougher standards, binding targets, stronger legal duties for regulators and water companies, bans on toxic chemicals, and clear deadlines to end storm overflows. Serious catchment-wide investment, she added, is also needed to tackle agricultural, urban and road run-off pollution.
Big River Watch this week
The concerns about the Broads come as the Rivers Trust launches its autumn Big River Watch, running from 19–25 September. The week-long citizen science survey invites people across the UK and Ireland to record the state of their local rivers through an app. With only 15% of river stretches in England considered healthy, organisers say the data is vital to pressure policymakers and hold polluters to account.
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