28 Jun 2022
Environment Agency experts investigating reports of fish deaths in a Northumberland river believe a natural fungal infection to be the cause. A small number of dead and dying salmon and sea trout were first reported in the lower Coquet in the Warkworth and Felton areas. These fish all showed signs of fungal infections. Reports have […]
28 Jun 2022
The Guardian has reported that guidance that would have allowed farmers to spread manures and slurry on land in a way that would overload it with nutrients and risk pollution of rivers, lakes and coastal waters has been changed by Defra, after a challenge over its lawfulness. Manures, which include sewage sludge, abattoir waste and […]
28 Jun 2022
Long-term plans to remove surface water from the sewer network are being drawn up by utility chiefs, but they stressed it has to be affordable. Steve Wilson, Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water’s managing director of wastewater services, told a meeting of Swansea councillors and other public sector representatives that doing so was its biggest challenge in the […]
28 Jun 2022
The Telegraph has published an opinion piece on the importance of water quality to public health, written by: Chief Medical Officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty; Chair of the Environment Agency, Emma Howard Boyd; and Ofwat Chair, Jonson Cox. Defra Media have subsequently published details of the article on their website: ‘The joint article highlights that while no […]
28 Jun 2022
Wastewater companies have set out how they are going to cut the harm they cause to rivers, following calls from the regulator and concerns from the public. Ofwat has posted a statement welcoming the immediate commitments to tackle these issues alongside areas for improvement. The Ofwat statement reads: ‘Ofwat is pleased to see some companies have committed […]
28 Jun 2022
One of the UK’s biggest dairy firms has been fined £1.5m for repeatedly polluting a river near its Cornwall factory and causing local residents to suffer years of noxious smells – but the problems are continuing, the Guardian reports. Dairy Crest was sentenced at Truro crown court for repeatedly breaching its environmental permit at Davidstow creamery in […]
28 Jun 2022
Hundreds of Belfast homes will be tested for lead contamination after an earlier study found elevated levels of the dangerous metal in drinking water. A small study by Queen’s University researchers found that 15% of the samples collected exceeded the standard UK limit for lead levels in water. The study also found at least some […]
28 Jun 2022
A new paper – entitled Offshore wind farms contribute to epibenthic biodiversity in the North Sea – has been published in the Journal of Sea Research and has received media coverage. According to the lead author, marine ecologist Dr Remment ter Hofstede, and his colleagues, “the North Sea was once abundantly covered with hard substrates […]
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