24 Dec 2024

Projects based in Yorkshire, Outer Hebrides and Merseyside have received a share of £2.4 million from the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), part of UK Research and Innovation. The studies are the first NERC research projects to be co-led by local community members and scientists from beginning to end. Reducing coastal erosion A project led […]

27 Nov 2024

Defra has published bathing water results showing that 92% of English bathing waters meet water quality standards. The number of monitored bathing waters in England rated as poor and unfit for swimming has more than doubled, from 18 to 37. Out of the 450 sites regularly tested this summer for bacteria related to sewage discharges, […]

02 Oct 2024

The Environment Agency is asking people visiting or living near Lake Windermere, the River Ribble at Edisford Bridge or the River Nidd in Yorkshire to become citizen scientists by providing a range of information, about what they can see at the sites, to help shape future plans to improve water quality. To support this, the […]

02 Oct 2024

The Environment Agency has provided indicative, catchment-scale source apportionment and estimated diffuse sector reductions required to meet protected area water quality target The Environment Agency has published a new report highlighting indicative, catchment-scale source apportionment and estimated diffuse sector reductions required to meet protected area water quality targets. Although the results are indicative, and not […]

25 Sep 2024

The government has accepted that not enough progress has been made in improving the water environment in England. The admission came in response to the Office for Environmental Protection’s (OEP) report on the implementation of the Water Framework Directive regulations and River Basin Management Planning. Defra’s response recognises that “The government agrees that there has […]

25 Sep 2024

Analysis by the Pesticides Action Network has revealed that the Conservative government attacked pesticide residue safety limits on a range of common GB food items including blackberries, grapes, onions and potatoes. Between 2022 and 2024, safety limits were weakened for 115 types of produce. While most of the food types affected are fruit and vegetables, […]

18 Sep 2024

By Michelle Jackson, associate professor of freshwater/marine ecology at the University of Oxford Public outrage over river pollution has been heartening to see. Over the past few years, stories about sewage contamination in rivers have captured public attention, and prompted campaigns and protests, such as the forthcoming River Action UK march for clean water on […]