BAA Heathrow this week published its Water Quality Strategy for the next five years, but it has already been criticised as too little, too late by protesters.

The report sets out how BAA will manage surface, foul and ground water at the airport up to 2008, detailing action plans that will be followed in achieving this.

The strategy outlines the airport's pollution control practices, and the performance and compliance monitoring that will be carried out. It also outlines how BAA Heathrow's water quality management meets the requirements of UK and European law and policy.

Water quality management at Heathrow is regulated by the Environment Agency and Thames Water. Both have been consulted during the development of this new strategy.

Pressure group HACAN ClearSkies said the strategy is the first time BAA has admitted the extent of the problems it has faced.

BAA admits it has not cleaned up all the rivers and holding ponds polluted by run-off water from the airport.

HACAN ecology specialist Mike Riley said: "While we are pleased that BAA has at long last produced a strategy to deal with the water pollution it causes, we remain concerned that it has taken years for the company to admit the seriousness of the problem if faced. For over four years, we have been called scaremongers and worse for pointing out the problems BAA now admits were there all the time! This must rank as one of the longest guilty pleas in history."

Mr Riley added: "We will continue our own investigations into river silt and monitor BAA's progress in cleaning up the area. We will also press BAA to look at the areas further away from the airport.

"There is evidence to suggest that they are being polluted by run-off water from the airport."

A BAA spokesperson replied: "We are disappointed HACAN are still guilty of scaremongering on the extent of alleged problems around airport-related water quality. We are not, as HACAN claim, a major source of water pollution in local lakes and rivers.

"The fact is where the airport discharges surface water into local water bodies, we are regularly meeting the consents laid down by the statutory regulator, the Environment Agency.

"We are pleased HACAN have finally admitted that BAA is tackling water quality issues, which the Environment Agency and other bodies have recognised for some time. We have been reporting publicly on water quality for a decade, not least through our annual sustainability reports. Any major industrial site like Heathrow has responsibilities on water management, and the strategy we have published sets out progress made and further work to be done."