Petition · past parliament · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Enact stricter final effluent standards to protect water from pollutants

Closed 3,643 signatures

What the petition asks

The Environment Agency does not require filtering out heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, disruptors, and microplastics in its final effluent standards. This can lead to ecological harm and public health risks.
We want the Government to introduce stronger final discharge effluent standards for water companies in England that include these.

We believe enhancing standards to include these is essential for environmental and community safety.

Current limits of 25 mg/l O2 for BOD and 125 mg/l O2 for COD fail to address key pollutants like heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, endocrine disruptors, and microplastics.

Without Government action, water companies are unlikely to act. We believe immediate action is essential to safeguard our waterways and public health and prevent an impending ecological crisis.

Timeline

16 Jan 2024 Petition opened for signatures
29 May 2024 Closed to new signatures

Key facts

Signatures 3,643
Status Closed
Department Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Opened 16 Jan 2024
Closed 29 May 2024

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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.