water matters

Why does a river that ran crystal clear in 1998 now look like coffee pouring into the Thames?
In this episode of Water Matters, Tim Smedley, author of The Last Drop, meets Ash Smith of Windrush Against Sewage Pollution on the banks of the River Windrush, where his investigation first began. Ash explains how a simple question to the Environment Agency uncovered around 250 sewage spills in three years. He also describes how data analysis by Professor Peter Hammond showed untreated sewage being released on dry days, not just during heavy rain. They discuss why water companies are still spilling, the problems with companies monitoring their own treatment works, how nutrients in treated effluent are turning rivers murky, and whether the Environment Agency has really changed since Channel 4’s Dirty Business.

If floodwater reached your front door, how much would actually get inside?
 
Tim Smedley visits the University of Hull’s flood testing lab, where Professor Stuart McLelland and his team flood real household doors to measure exactly how much water gets through.
Find out why outward opening doors let in around 80% less water, how simple flood tape cut leakage by over 95% in the best cases, and why sandbags struggle in shallow water.

Most of us think a flood either happens or it doesn't, but whether your home actually floods often comes down to a few centimetres and how your house is built.
In this episode of the Water Matters podcast, Tim Smedley heads to Hull to talk flood resilience with Martin Lennon, Director of Policy and Government Affairs at Flood Re. Martin explains how flood insurance works for homes at high flood risk, and why flooding in the UK is a long-standing problem rather than a new one caused by climate change. Along the way, he also shares simple, low-cost steps that can make a big difference.

71.3% of England is in official drought, and 2026 is on track to break last year's record-breaking dry spell. In this episode, Matthew Rolph and Tim Smedley unpack the scale of this summer's drought — from wildfire alerts and the worst harvests in a century to farmers feeding cattle their winter stores early.
They dig into the government's new "Let's Save Water" public information campaign, warning that at current usage England could be short of 5 billion litres of water a day by 2055, and discuss why the messaging is finally landing with the public.
Tim also shares three water-saving tips you won't hear in the official campaign — including turning off the tap while washing hands, keeping a bucket in the shower for greywater reuse, and (for the adventurous) a no-flush compost toilet trick.

Most people assume once wastewater is treated, the job is done, but nitrogen and phosphorus left behind can still cause serious harm downstream.
In Part 2 of this Water Matters special, host Noonie sits down again with GRAF scientist Danielle to unpack nutrient removal, one of the biggest topics in UK wastewater treatment right now. They cover how ammonia and nitrate are converted through biological processes, why phosphorus is often the harder nutrient to manage, and what happens when nitrogen and phosphorus aren't properly removed, including algal blooms, oxygen depletion and toxic effects on aquatic life. 

Ever wondered what actually happens to your wastewater once it leaves your home?
In this episode of Water Matters, host Noonie sits down with Danielle, a scientist at GRAF UK, specialising in biological wastewater treatment and nutrient removal, to break down one of the biggest misconceptions in the industry: wastewater treatment isn't a chemical or mechanical process, it's almost entirely biological.
This is part one of a two-part series diving into biological wastewater treatment.

Wondering why your water company has banned hosepipes again this summer, and what you're actually still allowed to do?
 
In this episode of the Water Matters podcast, Matt sits down with Callum from GRAF UK to break down exactly what a hosepipe ban is, why water companies bring them in, and how much water a hosepipe really uses compared to a watering can or bucket.
 
Head to watermatters.life to find out more on Hosepipe bans and solutions to help your garden stay healthy!

The UK has ambitious housing targets. It also has wastewater infrastructure that was designed for a fraction of today's population. Those two things are on a collision course — and the planning decisions made right now will shape the health of our rivers, communities and environment for the next 50 to 100 years.
In this episode, host Jake sits down with Noonie from the GRAF technical team to explore why wastewater has become one of the most important and often overlooked issues in modern housing development. 
Whether you're working in construction, planning, engineering or sustainability, this conversation cuts through the complexity and explains what needs to change — and what's already starting to.
For more on water, sustainability and the issues shaping the future, visit us at watermatters.life and subscribe to our free Water Wednesdays newsletter for the latest stories and developments across the water sector.

In this episode of Water Matters, Matt is joined by Tim Smedley to explore some of the world's most fascinating rainwater harvesting ideas.
Inspired by viral AI-generated images that turned out to be fake, they uncover the real innovations being used across the globe—from vertical forests in Italy and musical drainpipes in Germany to desert restoration projects in Africa and sponge streets in the UK.
Visit watermattters.life to find out more on rainwater harvesting systems around the world!

In this special mid-year edition of Water Matters, Matt reflects on the biggest water stories shaping the UK in 2026 so far. From water security and infrastructure investment to sewage pollution, climate adaptation, and nature-based solutions, this episode takes stock of where we are today and what to watch in the months ahead.