Bathing water classifications for 2021 show that 99% of bathing waters in England have passed water quality standards following testing by the Environment Agency at over 400 designated sites. Of these, 94.7% of beaches and inland waters gained an ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ rating while 4.3% achieved the minimum ‘Sufficient’ rating. This compares with 98.3% passing […]
Interview with Emma Howard Boyd in the ever-exciting Civil Service World. Breaking records and battling for better water quality – Environment Agency’s Emma Howard Boyd reflects on 2021 2020 may have been a year like no other, but 2021 was a chip off the old block and relentless from day one. The EA chair tells […]
Listen at BBC Sounds Campaigners say the state of Britain’s rivers is worsening. Over half of them polluted by sewage. There’s also a problem with agricultural run-off and chemicals. What can we do? According to campaigners, Britain has some of the dirtiest rivers in Europe. Sewage, slurry from farms and chemicals are all a problem, […]
From Water UK Water industry calls for a wave of bathing rivers as part of a new national plan to improve the health of English rivers Water companies want government, agriculture, and other sectors to come together and help create a series of bathing rivers across the country Research shows the many sources of pollution […]
From Defra Over 3,000 hectares of new woodlands are set to be planted along England’s rivers and watercourses with backing from the country’s leading environmental organisations, Forestry Minister Lord Goldsmith announced today (Saturday 25 September). Planting trees on and around riverbanks, or allowing them to grow naturally, can help to improve water quality by blocking […]
21 nature organisations are calling for urgent measures to help lift England’s rivers, lakes and streams from the bottom of the water quality league table, and warn that drastic action is needed to restore wildlife habitat. Every freshwater body in England currently fails chemical standards and only 16% are classed in good ecological health compared […]
New report from RSPB, rivers Trust and National Trust reveals pollution is biggest threat to wildlife on our waterways Beautiful, freshwater habitats that are home to an abundance of wildlife are being devastated by agricultural waste, raw sewage and pollution from abandoned mines, according to a new report According to an online YouGov poll, 88% of those in England, Wales and Northern Ireland […]
The Rivers Trust’s State of Our Rivers Report will, for the first time, allow every reader in England to understand the health of their local river and what they can do to improve it. Rivers are fundamental to our food and water security, the recovery of nature, and our resilience to the climate crisis. It is […]