BBC - Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers (2023)

What is going on beneath the surface? Paul Whitehouse travels around England and Wales to explore why rivers and waterways are in decline and what needs to be done to protect them. In this series Paul looks at the impact water companies have on its rivers and waterways. Later on Paul sees how explosions of algae, caused by fertiliser runoff from farming, are part of a cocktail overwhelming the habitat.

Chapter 1:
Paul travels through the north of England, looking at the impact water companies have on its rivers. Paul explores the change in the water industry since privatisation in 1989 and what regulations are in place when it comes to sewage discharge into rivers. He meets concerned locals in Yorkshire looking to highlight the health of the River Wharfe, a conservationist who warns of the ecological decline in iconic Lake Windemere, and the man at the front of the battle for the country's waterways, Feargal Sharkey.

Chapter 2:
Paul continues his journey, travelling to Wales and the south of England. Visiting the River Wye, he sees how explosions of algae, caused by fertiliser runoff from farming, are part of a cocktail overwhelming the habitat. He travels to Hampshire, where Paul hears about the damage being caused to our rare and precious chalk streams, before discovering how regular sewage discharges on the coast are causing problems for Whitstable’s famous oyster industry. Ending his journey in London, Paul finds a beacon of hope: the ?4.4 billion Thames Tideway super sewer.