Our region’s rivers do more than add beauty to the landscape; they’re vital to daily life. 

Waterworks bridge over the River Severn. Credit: Kevin Skidmore

Rivers across the UK provide much of the water on which we all depend, and support wildlife, ecosystems and recreation.

This Sunday is World Rivers Day, and organisations across the world will be celebrating and raising awareness of the importance of our rivers. 

Does any of our water come from rivers? Our water comes from three sources: Blithfield Reservoir, groundwater (water held underground and abstracted through boreholes) and the River Severn.

The River Severn is a regulated river. Flows in the river are assisted by groundwater and reservoirs near its source when the water level gets low.

We take water from the River Severn, and it is stored in Chelmarsh Reservoir before being treated and supplied to you.

Blithfield Reservoir, our main reservoir that supplies the region, is formed by a dam on the River Blithe and collects water directly from rainfall.  

About two-thirds of tap water in England and Wales comes from rivers and the reservoirs and lakes they flow into; the rest is taken from aquifers.

Why are rivers important? Not only do rivers provide a source for some of our drinking water, but they are freshwater habitats, home to some of the most diverse and endangered wildlife on our planet, including kingfishers, otters and brown trout.

Around the world, rivers are vital to people’s ways of life, particularly in fishing and agriculture. 

What are the challenges facing our rivers? Over-abstraction – taking too much water out of our rivers – is a key challenge. Affected by factors such as population growth and prolonged periods of dry weather, water for homes, farms, and industries can be taken quicker than it can be naturally replenished, and this can lead to not enough water being left for the natural environment.

Another challenge is pollution. Farming fertilisers, pesticides, herbicides and urban sewage all affect the quality of rivers. 

Water and wastewater companies (for our region, Severn Trent), are allowed to spill sewage into open water following heavy rainfall to prevent the system from becoming overloaded, using relief valves called “storm overflows” to release extra rainwater and wastewater into rivers or seas.

The water industry in England has published a National Storm Overflows Plan setting out almost 9,000 improvements to reduce spills from storm overflows.

The Plan meets/ exceeds all UK government targets and represents the most expansive programme for overflows in the world.   

What is South Staffs Water doing to help rivers? Water companies are regulated and have legal requirements they need to adhere to in order to protect the environment.

We are committed to protecting and enhancing the environment for the benefit of our customers, now and for future generations.

To do this, we are working carefully to manage the water we take from the environment in a sustainable way, help customers to manage their own water use and improve the biodiversity of our local habitats.

There are various ways we’re working to deliver biodiversity improvements. One of these ways is through a scheme called SPRING - an environmental protection programme to help farmers explore catchment-friendly land management through on-farm infrastructural improvements and land management options designed to protect the environment and improve water quality.

Another way is through our PEBBLE fund, a scheme that offers grants up to £10,000 to local river interest groups, environmental organisations, charities, community organisations and schools, that are delivering projects to improve, restore and create habitats in our supply region.

Find out more about our environmental commitments in our business plan 2025-2030.