A REPORT from a parliamentary watchdog has been highly critical about the condition of rivers with high levels of pollution.

The condemning report was from the Environmental Audit Committee chaired by Ludlow MP Philip Dunne.

“Rivers are the arteries of nature and must be protected,” said Mr Dunne.

“Our inquiry has uncovered multiple failures in the monitoring, governance and enforcement on water quality. For too long, the Government, regulators and the water industry have allowed a Victorian sewerage system to buckle under increasing pressure.

“We are calling for these relevant bodies to come together and develop a system fit for the future.

“Monitoring regimes need to be reviewed, enforcement needs to be ramped up, and even public awareness needs boosting on what can and cannot be poured down drains or flushed down the toilet. So many emerging pollutants are being missed.”