The Tameside Radio presenter talks about the widespread problem of polluted rivers across the UK - prompted by a jaw-dropping BBC documentary.

I've just finished watching the jaw-dropping two-part documentary "Paul Whitehouse: Our Troubled Rivers" on BBC2. I've been following the tweets of Undertones singer and solo star Feargal Sharkey for some time now, as he fights to highlight the problem of our polluted rivers, but I hadn't realised how seismic the problem is.

Sharkey declares "every single river in the country is polluted". How very bleak. He's a friend of Whitehouse, and is described affectionately as the "attack dog" for this campaign. He's certainly done more than his fair share.

Rivers are magical, inspirational, and moreover habitats in which wildlife can thrive. We as humans seem pretty determined to fill them with plastics, wet wipes, and worse, in the UK.

Getting anyone to accept accountability for the problem is seemingly impossible, as evidenced by the lengthy statements given in response to the programme's findings by the water companies under the microscope.

Whilst it makes essential and compelling viewing, I wouldn't advise watching this show whilst eating your tea, as a lot of it is pretty stomach churning stuff. Opening in the picturesque town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire, we get a glimpse of some of the items lurking beneath the surface of the River Wharfe, which include a plethora of wet wipes and sanitary towels.

Committed campaign groups have been trying to do their bit to clean up the Wharfe for a good while, but it must feel at times like they are fighting a losing battle.

Whitehouse then heads across the border from Yorkshire to Lancashire, and a fair chunk of episode one focuses on Tameside and the River Tame. We meet Chris Clarke from the River Tame Anglers, who highlights the effect the health of our rivers is having on fish life. When the system is overloaded, raw sewage is being pumped into the River Tame, and turning the water grey.. The programme also reveals that a section of the Tame at Denton has the highest concentration of micro plastics on its river bed in the world, according to academics.

Water companies are legally allowed to released untreated waste water into our rivers through the sewage overflow network, a fact that Whitehouse is repeatedly astounded by. I share his sentiments. In fact, almost 400 Olympic-sized swimming pools' worth of waste and storm water were released into the River Thames in a single day, according to a startling revelation in the second episode.

Raw untreated sewage being pumped into the rivers and the sea is absolutely unacceptable. People are unknowingly swimming in pure excrement in some cases. Our Victorian sewage systems are slowly being upgraded, but so much more needs to be done about it. It's possible to treat 99 per cent of micro plastics to stop them ever getting into rivers, but of course this costs money.

United Utilities and Yorkshire Water have made millions in profit, but at the same time knowingly spewed sewage into our beautiful rivers at an eye watering rate since they were created in 1989 by Thatcher's privatisation. Incidentally, Labour did nothing to reverse this when they were in power in the 90s.

The Environment Agency does what it can, but is starved of resources. The water regulator Ofwat has the power to issue punitive fines, but they don't seem to be much of a deterrent on the basis of what we see in this series.

Campaign groups have done much to raise awareness, and it feels like people are finally declaring enough is enough. As Paul himself says : "With another product - if you want to call it that - you can go elsewhere. You can cut a certain brand of bread out of your life. But you can't do that with water".

We've not built a single new reservoir in over 30 years in this country. The problem is clearly complex. Agriculture is a factor, plus the fact we're all using more water than our ancestors. The system is clearly under a lot of pressure. But this programme is a really good starting point at shining a light on the problem.

As Paul says in the concluding shot, "I'd like to see pure, clean rivers". Who can argue with that? His emotional connection to them is clear, and this isn't a matter of left-right politics. It's a matter of preserving the planet for the next generation.

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

Alex also has a regular movie column where he gives his verdict on the latest films he's been to see. Read his latest one here.