TDEG’s Rivers & Brooks group is working to protect our local waterways and reduce pollution. As a small group, our voice is strongest when we join forces with national campaigns, particularly when lobbying to change government policy and environmental legislation.
On this page, we share updates and actions you can take – such as national petitions, lobbying our local MP, and supporting the campaigns of other organisations.
Together we can make a difference.
A New Clean Water Act?
After the Independent Water Commission published its report in July 2025 (which you can read in full here), the government responded with a White Paper (A New Vision for Water), published in early 2026. Most national campaign groups welcomed many of the steps proposed in this White Paper, but also say it does not go far enough. You can read more about River Action’s views here.
The White Paper has led to a new Clean Water Bill, announced during the King’s Speech in May 2026., and various speeches by Andy Burnham highlighting the parlous state of the water industry.
The Clean Water Bill will be debated over the coming year. But will it lead to a stonger and more effective Clean Water Act?
Will the Proposals Go Far Enough?
We don’t yet know the proposed details of the new bill. But this is a great opportunity to make a real difference to the protection and regulation of our waterways.
The new Clean Water Bill is likely to propose the following changes:
- Create a new Water Ombudsman to give households and communities more recourse when water companies fall short (abolishing OFWAT);
- Restructure water regulators into one ‘super regulator’ with a wider remit covering both the economic and environmental performance of water companies;
- Provide the mandate for companies to secure longer term, more sustainable finance for investments;
- Make housing development and sewage work better together to provide for new homes.
These are significant and welcome changes. But do they go far enough?
Surfers Against Sewage have already published their response to the Clean Water Bill (read it here). They are asking for a range of principles to be added to the Bill to strengthen it. SAS are also very disappointed that the government has said nothing about a fundamental restructuring of the water industry “to stop their unrelenting drive for profit and dividends for shareholders at the expense of everything else. ” (SAS, 2026).
The SAS website includes various calls for action. You can read more about their campaign here – Clean The Bill | About | Surfers Against Sewage .
In particular, they are asking the government to include a `roadmap` to show how the water industry could be restructured to benefit the public and the environment.
One possible model of restructuring the water industry it the mutualised model. You can read more about that approach in this Guardian newspaper article.
A new Clean Water Act could be a once in a generation opportunity to transform the water industry. We know that our Derbyshire Dales MP, John Whitby, is supportive of our campaign to protect our local waterways. But we can strengthen his voice by demonstrating how many of his constituents care about this issue.
We are asking our members to contact our local MP, John Whitby, to let him know how they feel about the new proposals.
You can email John Whitby at jo************@********nt.uk . Explain why Tideswell Brook and other local waterways are important to you and the threats they face. Ask for the strongest legislation to protect them and to hold the water industry to account. (Remember to include your full name and address if you would like a reply. MPs have to ensure you are a local constituent.)
You can read more details about the issues our local waterways face on our main Rivers and Brooks web page here.
