Save Salisbury's Chalk Streams

Cllr Victoria Charleston has renewed calls for the Government to nominate the UK’s chalk streams for UNESCO Natural World Heritage status, after families were warned not to paddle at Queen Elizabeth Gardens just 13 days after the River Avon site was granted official bathing water status.

With work from local campaigners such as For the Love of Water, and Lib Dem-run Salisbury City Council, the River Avon at Queen Elizabeth Gardens was officially designated as a bathing water area on 15 May. However, a pollution alert was issued on 28 May after Environment Agency testing found very high levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci, both key indicators of sewage contamination.

The warning remained in place until 1 June, after pollution originating upstream was investigated. Wessex Water has said the incident was caused by a blocked sewer rather than storm overflow discharges.

Salisbury sits at the meeting point of five rivers, the Avon, Nadder, Bourne, Wylye and Ebble, forming part of one of the country’s most precious chalk-stream landscapes. With around 85% of the world’s chalk streams found in England, campaigners say the Government has a global responsibility to protect these rare habitats from sewage pollution, over-abstraction and long-term decline.

In a direct letter to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Cllr Charleston has urged ministers to back the formal nomination of the UK’s chalk streams as a serial UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and to introduce stronger legal protections for rivers across Salisbury and beyond.

Cllr Victoria Charleston said:

“Like so many residents, I was delighted to see Queen Elizabeth Gardens awarded bathing water status, but for families to be warned against paddling there less than two weeks later is deeply alarming.

“This incident shows exactly why proper monitoring, transparency and enforcement matter. Without regular testing, pollution like this could go undetected, putting children, wildlife and our precious chalk streams at risk.

“With 85% of the world’s chalk streams found right here in England, we have a global responsibility to protect them. Salisbury's identity is tied to these waters, yet they are being treated as open sewers.

"Instead of allowing water companies to destroy our environment, we need to treat these rivers as the irreplaceable natural treasures they are. We need tougher action, real accountability, and we need it now.”

Salisbury Liberal Democrats are calling for stricter penalties for water companies that pollute rivers, tougher regulation of sewage incidents, greater transparency over water quality, and a clear legal framework to guarantee the long-term survival of the region’s chalk streams.

Cllr Charleston and the local Liberal Democrat team are also encouraging residents to support efforts to improve river monitoring and protection across Salisbury, including community-backed campaigns for bathing water status and stronger environmental safeguards.

Get involved: help save our streams

Residents can support the campaign by signing the petition calling for stronger action against sewage pollution via the Salisbury Liberal Democrats website salisburylibdems.uk/stopsewage or tapping the button below.

Local people are also encouraged to share photos, evidence and personal experiences of pollution or declining wildlife at their local river spots.

Together, we can hold water companies to account and protect Salisbury’s historic rivers for future generations.