For long-term users of Britain’s lakes, rivers and coastal waters, the environmental costs of inaction due to the constant pumping of raw sewage are clear.
Even for those who do not have the opportunity to enjoy the country’s waterways, it is enough to look at social networks to see the deplorable state of too many rivers and seas.
That’s why I and its related name New scientist launched a joint campaign to promote meaningful change to restore our deteriorating water supply network.
But Rishi Sunak should be warned that there are also very real political costs associated with the mismanagement of the country’s rivers by water companies.
In many parts of the country, especially in the south and southeast, the government’s apparent lack of urgency in dealing with river pollution is already threatening to affect the ballot box.
In several county towns and counties along the south coast, the issue of raw sewage in our rivers and seas has become a major political battleground, and the Liberal Democrats increasingly believe it could turn voters away from conservative Tory seats.
This is the biggest political issue on the cusp after the NHS, according to Liberal Democrat activists.
This is an area that Mr. Sunak cannot neglect. The Tories are trailing in the polls, and the prime minister has already faced a series of challenges to change the party’s fortunes. It seems out of place to give voters at the heart of the Conservatives any more reason to turn to another party to solve the problem of river pollution.