23 June 2025

Press Release

For immediate release

“Legal boost” for UK rivers as government cracks down on fertiliser overuse

The UK government has withdrawn “effective encouragement” in England for overuse of agricultural fertiliser, in a move NGOs are describing as an “important legal boost” for rivers.

Following a legal complaint by WWF and ClientEarth to the UK’s environmental watchdog the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), guidance from the UK government on the levels of chemicals and manures agricultural operators can apply to the soil has been revised.

Excessive use of fertiliser, including manure, on agricultural land frequently leads to nutrient pollution and algal blooms in rivers, which can starve wildlife of oxygen and cause serious damage to ecosystems.

Commenting on the amended Statutory Guidance to the Farming Rules for Water, Kate Norgrove, Executive Director of Advocacy and Campaigns at WWF said:

“The new guidance is very welcome and will make it easier for regulators to crack down on agricultural pollution – the single biggest threat to our rivers. It is a step in the right direction to helping wildlife recover, cutting drinking water treatment costs, and giving people cleaner waterways to enjoy.

“Many farmers have been following good practice for decades. This clearer guidance levels the playing field for them and points others to the advice, support, and funding that is available to comply with the law. This is exactly the right approach needed to enable a fair transition to nature-friendly farming.”

In November, the OEP acknowledged that the government’s perceived encouragement of fertiliser overuse could constitute a legal breach and launched an investigation as a result.

Kyle Lischak, head of UK for ClientEarth, said:

"We desperately need to tackle high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus in our water - pollution caused by spreading fertiliser poses one of the biggest threats to our waterways. Yet Defra's previous guidance effectively encouraged land managers to breach a key law that is intended to prevent water pollution.

Thanks to the OEP’s intervention on this issue, we’re pleased to see updated guidance from Defra, which constitutes an important legal boost for the protection of our rivers. The Government should now ensure that regulatory bodies like the EA have the resources they need to oversee compliance with the law. Farmers must also be supported to follow best practice - through clear guidelines and financial assistance - if the Government is to make progress on improving water quality."

Notes for Editors

In 2022 WWF and Client Earth launched a complaint to the Office for Environmental Protection arguing that the statutory guidance on applying the Farming Rules for Water sought to change the rules (as well as a number of other problems). Today’s amended guidance is the product of that complaint and should promote improved compliance with the regulations.

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About WWF:  

WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) is the global environmental charity, active in nearly 100 countries, and we’re bringing our world back to life. With nature in freefall, we’re urgently tackling the underlying causes that are driving the decline – especially the food system and climate change. We’re finding solutions so future generations have a world with thriving habitats and wildlife. 

WWF. Bringing our world back to life. 

Find out more about our work, past and present at www.wwf.org.uk

About ClientEarth:

ClientEarth is a non-profit organisation that uses the law to create systemic change that protects the Earth for – and with – its inhabitants. We are tackling climate change, protecting nature and stopping pollution, with partners and citizens around the globe. We hold industry and governments to account and defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. ClientEarth teams in Europe, Asia and the USA work to shape, implement and enforce the law, to build a future for our planet in which people and nature can thrive together.

Find out more at www.clientearth.org/