Rachel Salvidge

6 days ago | theguardian.com | Rachel Salvidge |Rachel Salvidge Webster

Demand for water is rising fast but England’s system for tracking water use is outdated, patchy and opaque, leaving regulators in the dark, and can even reward businesses for using more, experts have warned. Water licensed for farming has more than doubled in five years, from nearly 3 billion cubic metres in 2015–2019 to almost 6 billion between 2020 and 2024.

1 week ago | theguardian.com | Rachel Salvidge |Rachel Salvidge Webster

The amount of water being sucked from England’s rivers has surged to record levels, with potentially disastrous consequences for people and wildlife, it can be revealed. An investigation into licensing data by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian found that the volume of water taken from rivers and lakes for industrial or public consumption has jumped 76% in two decades: 11.6m cubic metres (410 cu ft) were abstracted in the five years to 2023, up from 6.6m in the early 2000s.

2 weeks ago | theguardian.com | Rachel Salvidge |Rachel Salvidge Webster

A group of 20 internationally renowned scientists have issued a strong warning against attempts to narrow the definition of “forever chemicals” in what they describe as a politically or economically motivated effort to weaken regulation of the potentially harmful chemicals.

1 month ago | theguardian.com | Ryan Baxter |Rachel Salvidge |Ali Assaf |Josh Toussaint-Strauss |Leana Hosea

Pfas are a group of thousands of chemicals that are used for their non-stick and water-resistant properties. They are often refered to as 'forever chemicals' because they can take thousands of years to break down. Pfas are being found in so many everyday items that it's starting to feel like they are everywhere - non-stick frying pans, waterproof mascaras, stain-resistant clothing, packaging for takeaway food items. Pfas are even in our food, our drinking water and in the rain.

2 months ago | theguardian.com | Rachel Salvidge |Rachel Salvidge Webster

Three UK military bases have been marked for investigation over fears they may be leaking toxic “forever chemicals” into drinking water sources and important environmental sites. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) will investigate RAF Marham in Norfolk, RM Chivenor in Devon and AAC Middle Wallop in Hampshire after concerns they may be leaching toxic PFAS chemicals into their surroundings.