What is this review about?
This systemic review will consider statistics and data relating to water quality, pollution and resources across the UK. It will look at how these statistics are produced, how they are used, and how far they support clear and meaningful comparisons between the four UK nations.
Why are we doing this review?
Water statistics are widely used in public debate, policy and regulation. Recent regulatory work and public discussion have highlighted concerns about their quality, comparability and interpretation.
In particular, differences in monitoring approaches and publication practices between the UK nations can make it difficult to understand what the statistics show, and what conclusions can reasonably be drawn from them. This review aims to understand those issues in more detail and support improvements in the public value of water statistics.
What will the review cover?
The review will focus on statistics relating to water quality, pollution and resources, with initial attention on:
- Bathing water quality
- Surface water and groundwater quality
- Pollution related monitoring data, including storm overflows where relevant to understanding water quality related monitoring data.
- Statistics related to water resources and usage
We will consider statistics from all four UK nations. The scope may evolve as the review progresses, but we intend to focus on a small number of key areas where the potential for systemwide improvement is greatest.
What are we hoping to achieve?
Through this review, we aim to:
- Identify strengths, limitations and gaps in current water statistics
- Improve clarity about comparability between nations, including where comparisons are not appropriate
- Better understand how statistics are used by producers, decision makers, the media and the public
- Support improvements to the trustworthiness, quality and value of water statistics over time
How will we carry out the review?
The review will begin with an evidence-gathering phase, drawing on existing published material and regulatory intelligence. We will also engage with a range of stakeholders, including producers and users of water statistics.
The evidence-gathering phase will inform further analysis, engagement and follow-up activity. We also intend to review some UK water statistics against the Code of Practice for Statistics.
How can stakeholders get involved?
We want this review to be informed by those who produce, use or rely on water statistics for decision-making.
Later this year, we will invite stakeholders to engage with us during the review period and share their views on what is working well and where improvements are needed. Further details on how to take part will be published on this page in due course, but we would welcome approaches from anyone who is interested in reaching out to speak to us in the meantime at: regulation@statistics.gov.uk