Thoroton family marches to the Parliament for clean water

A father and his nine-year-old daughter claim the water system is in crisis and joined thousands of people on a march for clean water.

After the levels of pollution in the river that runs through their village and the decline in the wildlife around it, Dan Hoye and Inés Hoye, of Thoroton, decided to test the waters — literally.

The concerned duo bought testing kits, and found very high levels of Nitrates and bacteria in the River Smite.

The river is regularly visited by Orston Primary School pupils for science experiments and hikes, and Dan said that “Inés' school regularly visit the River Smite for nature walks and outdoor learning.

“It’s unacceptable that our children don’t have access to clean water to play and to watch nature thrive,” he said, “We found very high levels of Nitrates which could explain why plants and insects are finding it hard to make a home there.

“We also detected bacteria in both of the tests we did which could suggest the presence of harmful bugs like E.coli.”

The family's concerns over water cleanliness follow the national water company scandal, where data revealed that water companies in England discharged raw sewage for more than 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas last year.

The scale of the discharges of untreated waste made 2023 the worst year for stormwater pollution.

On Sunday (November 3), Dan and Inés joined thousands of people to voice their concerns on the March for Clean Water to Parliament in London.

The march, organised by River Action, was described as being ‘fun and family-friendly’ as they marched along the ‘highly polluted’ Thames to Parliament to then end with talks from wildlife experts such as Chris Packham.

River Action asked politicians of all parties to support three aims to deliver the change needed for clean, healthy and abundant water, for people and for wildlife.

Mr Hoye added: “The water system in this country is in crisis.

“Last year, raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas by England’s water companies.

“The government needs to take immediate action to make the polluters pay.

“Agriculture is another threat to river ecology, responsible for 40% of the damage done to waterways.

“The government also needs to help farmers reverse the damage that has been done to our waterways.

“Only 14% of UK rivers are said to be in a ‘good’ ecological state and the UK consistently ranks as one of the worst European countries for coastal water quality.”

The environmentalist father is appealing to people across the country to contact their local MPs and ask them to support the Climate and Nature Bill, which commits to reversing the decline of nature by 2030.

He has approached Newark MP Robert Jenrick’s office to tell them about their findings in the River Smite and about the March for Clean Water, ending with an appeal to support the campaign, but has not yet received a response.

Erin McDaid of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust said: “While we were pleased to see a Water: Special Measures Bill brought forward by Ministers recently, the state of our water remains unacceptable, and the recent Budget gave no confidence that the Environment Agency will have the resources it requires to deliver the step change needed.

“With the march having helped send a message to the government, opposition MPs and industry that the public demands urgent action, now is a perfect time to contact your local MP, whatever party they represent – to let them know why clean water and pollution free wetlands matter to you.”