The Environment Agency (EA) has cut its forecast for the number of additional properties that will be better protected from flooding by 40% since plans were first unveiled in 2020, according to a new report by the National Audit Office. EA estimates that inflation accounts for between a half and two-thirds of this reduction. Resilience […]
Communities are being urged by the Environment Agency to make sure they know their flood risk amid increased extreme weather events. After this year’s record-breaking weather, the Agency launched its annual awareness campaign – Flood Action Week – as making just one small change can reduce the effects on homes and families and even save […]
The Environment Agency has provided an update in its national investigation into potential breaches of permit conditions at wastewater treatment works by water and sewerage companies. The Agency has completed site visits, covering flow systems and monitors, maintenance regimes, management practices and site diaries. It is now moving on to the data analysis stage, but the […]
The Environment Agency (EA) claims that an estimated 96,000 properties have been protected and as part of the EA’s response to flooding caused by Storm Babet. Further, twenty high volume pumps and five small volume pumps were deployed across several sites. The EA’s flood warning service sent out over 300,000 messages by email, telephone and […]
The High Court in Cardiff last week agreed River Action’s challenge of the Environment Agency’s handling of agricultural pollution in the River Wye can proceed to court. River Action argued that by failing to prevent the spread of excessive levels of manure across agricultural land in the Wye river catchment, where high phosphorus levels in […]
As England enters the autumn, the National Drought Group met to reiterate the importance of all sectors continuing to plan and invest for future droughts. Experts are pushing for more investment now to ensure England is in the best possible position ahead of future droughts, the National Drought Group heard last week (13 September). The […]
The government’s environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), has identified possible failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency and Ofwat in relation to the regulation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The failures relate to a possible misinterpretation of the law, which […]
An investigation by Unearthed reveals How England’s water companies struggled in last summer’s heatwaves Water supplies ran so low during last summer’s drought that England’s environmental regulator warned that companies might break the law to keep the taps running, documents obtained by Unearthed reveal. The internal briefings – obtained under freedom of information laws – […]