Urgent action and funding are needed to address river pollution and low water levels so 20,000 new homes left in limbo can be built, the LGA has warned.
Pollutants, generated by agriculture and water companies, that run into rivers mean some planned house building is unable to go ahead, at a time when demand for housing is growing rapidly.
Rising levels of water abstraction for drinking water supplies are also leading to further threats to wildlife and the natural environment, according to a new report by the LGA. While there are some plans to offset these issues – such as creating new wetlands – these can be expensive, time-consuming and require large amounts of land.
The LGA says immediate steps that could be taken include giving affected areas funding for improving homes’ water efficiency, targeted agricultural upgrades, and upgrading wastewater treatment works.
An LGA spokesperson said: “Thousands of new homes are on hold because of river pollution and water level concerns, leaving councils in limbo on how to meet increasing demand for urgent accommodation.
“We need to find short-term local ways to address this pollution and water availability before longer-term solutions are found to stop the pollution at the source, so the land can be built on.
“This will help address the housing crisis, with more than 1.2 million households on social housing waiting lists in desperate need of somewhere to stay.
“Councils want to work together with government, agencies, developers and the agricultural sector to find ways to address pollution locally, so homes can be built, while doing everything possible to reduce pollution at source, maintain safe water levels and avoid other areas getting caught up in this environmental bind.”