The urgent need for clean water, at home and abroad | Letters

Christine McGourty, the chief executive of Water UK, calls for collaboration between companies and regulators to improve the health of UK rivers, while Claire Seaward of WaterAid warns of the spread of drug-resistant infections through dirty waterYour editorial on water pollution (18 January) is right to emphasise the need for a conversation about the water industry's regulatory framework. Water companies recognise the urgent necessity of ending harm from overflows and improving the health of our rivers. Our recent 21st Century Rivers report calls on the government, regulators, water companies, agriculture and other sectors to work together to deliver a comprehensive national plan to bring about the transformation in our rivers that we all want to see.The radical improvement in England's coastal bathing waters in recent decades, with 99% passing water quality tests and more than 70% classed as "excellent", shows what can be achieved by working together. Continue reading...