03 Dec 2024
The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has launched an investigation into the government’s Statutory Guidance on applying the Farming Rules for Water (FRfW). These regulations aim to reduce and prevent water pollution from agriculture by requiring farmers to plan the application of organic manure and manufactured fertiliser so that it does not exceed the needs […]
14 Nov 2024
Wessex Water has been found negligent after sewage leaks killed thousands of fish – with the company failing to report incidents to the Environment Agency as early as it should have. Photo credit: Rijk van de Kaa Swindon Magistrates’ Court today sentenced the company to pay a total fine of £500,000 after it […]
30 Oct 2024
According to The Observer, Water firms “passed” thousands of pollution tests under a self-monitoring regime … yet the tests were never even conducted, the Observer can reveal. The water firms’ own operational data for sewage plants across the country reveals how outflows of effluent had stopped – in some cases for just a few hours – on […]
22 Oct 2024
Research conducted by the Marine Conservation Society and the University of Portsmouth has revealed that sewage discharges are a significant source of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) pollution in marine environments. PFAS also known as ‘forever chemicals’ are a complex group of nearly 15,000 substances used in consumer products around the world since the 1950s. […]
16 Oct 2024
Pollution, habitat degradation, impacts of climate change, and the over-use of freshwater resources are putting pressure on Europe’s lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwaters like never before. According to the largest assessment on the health of Europe’s water bodies, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe is not on track to meet its […]
16 Oct 2024
Reported in The Guardian A freshwater lake that attracts more than 30,000 swimmers a year is under threat of closure from an Environment Agency (EA) plan to reduce flooding that will channel in polluted river water, according to campaigners. Almost 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the EA and Surrey county council to reroute the flood […]
02 Oct 2024
New research has found high levels of antibiotics and other drugs have been found in water in the country’s most treasured and protected landscapes, raising concerns over antimicrobial resistance. The research, published in August in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, revealed that many of the UK waterways, including protected rivers that run through national parks, […]
01 Oct 2024
A new report from conservation group Oceana UK has been published revealing the true extent of oil pollution. The report titled ‘Sea Slick: The true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in UK seas’ says oil pollution in UK seas has been “significantly underestimated due an opaque system of self-reporting by oil companies that […]
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