More than 33,000 tonnes of manure are produced in the UK every day by intensive pig and poultry farms — enough to fill 2,500 double-decker buses

Rain hammered down relentlessly, and the river near home was up on its haunches. Sitting proud toward the top of its banks, gushing brown with eddies spinning frantically, branches and other shoreline debris were washed along by the torrents.

When the river gets like this, the normally near clear water changes to an impenetrable complexion of deep cappuccino. There’s no seeing through it. Far from it. That water is now on a mission.

Carrying soil washed off nearby fields where, in a slight of the English language, it becomes known as ‘silt’. And in that word change, the relationship between agricultural run-off and the silting up of the riverbed becomes hidden, along with fish-breeding habitats and so much more that simply gets buried.

Stop poisoning waterways

It’s not only the soil running into waterways we should worry about. Whatever was on the fields in question, be it fertiliser, toxic pesticides, or muck also ends up in the river. All of which joins sewage dumped into the river by the local water company.

It’s the declining state of our rivers that inspired the recent UK protest organised by more than 130 water, wildlife, environmental and animal welfare organisations all concerned about the state of our waterways. Thousands of blue-clad protestors joined broadcaster Chris Packham and actor Jim Murray in calling for action to “stop poisoning Britain’s water”. Their concern is not without good reason.

Last year, a report found raw sewage had been discharged into Scottish rivers and seas nearly 60,000 times over the past five years, although campaigners warned the true number could be ten times higher due to low levels of monitoring.

In England, where there is greater monitoring, raw sewage was discharged for more than 3.6 million hours into rivers and seas last year, double the amount during the previous 12 months. Mass deaths of fish in England’s rivers have increased almost tenfold since 2020. Our rivers are in crisis, suffering from a toxic mix of pollution that includes raw and treated sewage and chemical toxins.

Agricultural run-off

Yet perhaps the biggest cause of river pollution often goes unnoticed: run-off from agriculture. Estimates suggest agriculture accounts for about two-thirds of total nitrogen pollution in river water.

This is caused by excessive fertilisers and manure entering waterways through run-off and leaching. This then affects the quality of the water and can cause excessive plant growth and algal blooms, which depletes oxygen levels in the river, causing die-offs of fish and other aquatic animals.

New research for the first time reveals the areas of the UK where the most animal manure from factory farms is produced and also where it is spread, indicating the river catchments most at risk from agricultural pollution.

The data, compiled in an interactive UK ‘Muck Map’, indicates where the most muck is spread on farmland and the river catchments suffering from overproduction of the stuff. Interrogating the data reveals that the Severn, Great Ouse, Ouse (Yorkshire), Trent, Norfolk river groups and the Wye top the list of catchments where animal manure from intensive farming is likely to be having the greatest impact. And Scotland is far from immune, according to the Muck Map, which finds that Aberdeenshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and the Scottish Borders are the most affected.

All muck, no magic

As much as 33,450 tonnes of manure are produced in the UK every day by intensive pig and poultry farms. That’s enough to fill over 2,500 double-decker buses. And all that muck has to go somewhere.

No wonder then that the water pollution, caustic smells and toxic air associated with intensive farming are having an effect, not least on the well-being of local communities. If intensive animal farming continues to expand at its current rate, annual production of muck could increase by a further third by 2028.

A little-known fact is that housebuilding is also being affected in many areas. Nutrient pollution is so bad in parts of England that it is preventing the construction of new homes in 74 local planning authority areas. In these ‘nutrient neutrality’ zones, Natural England has issued guidance aiming to protect threatened habitats from further damage. The guidance states that no further building works should take place if the development would add any further pollution, unless mitigation measures are put in place.

It is estimated that up to 100,000 homes have been affected by these restrictions, potentially jeopardising the UK Government’s target of building 1.5 million homes. Not only that, the resulting economic loss over the next six years could be as high as £18 billion. That’s a big price to pay for polluted water.

Government action needed

Keeping large numbers of dairy cows, chickens and pigs permanently indoors or without access to pasture is a big source of pollution. The spread of slurry from intensive animal agriculture has already contributed to widespread nitrogen pollution. It’s so bad in some places that protected areas are being damaged. It’s a deeply disturbing situation that has to stop.

Government departments must work together to support local communities and allow local councils to reject planning applications for new intensive animal farms. One way or another, failure to act will impact us all.

Note: This is a version of an article originally published in The Scotsman on 14^th November, 2024

Main Image: Credit: istock