The River Pang in Berkshire, designated by Thames Water as a flagship chalk stream restoration initiative, has been assigned a poor water quality classification by the Environment Agency. The waterway also failed testing for hazardous substances in figures released recently.
Thames Water initiated the Pang Flagship Chalk Stream Partnership in 2022, with the company committing £875,000 to the effort. The partnership aims to execute restoration plans spanning a decade starting from 2025. The Environment Agency indicated it would contribute approximately £2 million toward efforts to restore and improve the river through the partnership and related initiatives.
Chalksstreams represent rare and ecologically important habitats, with approximately 85% of the world’s 260 chalk rivers located in the United Kingdom. Thames Water attributed water quality challenges to multiple sources, including agricultural runoff, industrial discharge, road drainage, and increasingly severe weather patterns. The company stated that addressing these issues requires coordinated action from multiple stakeholders involved in river protection and improvement.
Environment Agency officials identified barriers to fish movement between the Thames and the Pang as a significant factor contributing to declining fish populations and diversity in the river. Environmental advocates have called for systemic changes to industrial pollution practices, arguing that natural factors alone cannot explain waterway degradation and that comprehensive overhauls of water industry regulations are necessary. Thames Water reaffirmed its commitment to making the Pang catchment a model example of partnership-driven and community-led restoration efforts for chalk stream ecosystems.
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