30 Nov 2022
Swimming in superbugs
UK rivers near livestock farms are awash with superbugs and antibiotic residues, including in the idyllic River Wye, research by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has found. Testing commissioned with World Animal Protection and the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics has found evidence of drug resistance in waterways near poultry and pig farms and in […]
30 Nov 2022
Update on the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme
Natural England has been working closely with Defra and DLUHC, alongside the Environment Agency, Forestry Commission, Homes England, the Planning Advisory Service and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) to develop the scheme across affected catchments in England. The first mitigation projects are currently being negotiated with two partners in the Tees catchment. Investment in feasibility studies […]
24 Nov 2022
Investigations into possible unauthorised discharges at thousands of wastewater treatment works
On 18 November 2021, the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat announced separate major investigations into possible unauthorised discharges at thousands of wastewater treatment works. The Environment Agency is now investigating more than 2,200 wastewater treatment works (WWTW) that discharge into English waters. This relates to all water and sewage companies. The Environment Agency’s initial assessment indicates that […]
24 Nov 2022
UK nature agencies set out vision to avoid ‘profound threat to humanity’s future’
UK Nature agencies set out roadmap to protect nature to underpin food security, climate security and water security. In a joint statement the UK’s six official nature conservation bodies said that there has never been a more critical time to invest in restoring and enhancing nature across the UK and stressed how the economy cannot […]
24 Nov 2022
Green stormwater control measures clean up urban streams
Catching urban runoff in raingardens and rainwater capture tanks improves the water quality of nearby streams and rivers and lowers water temperatures that have risen in the region due to climate change and the urban heat island effect, according to a new report spanning two decades. When natural landscapes are replaced with urban infrastructure environments, the temperature […]
24 Nov 2022
Plastic in the world’s rivers may be up to 90% higher than current estimates
New research from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), in conjunction with partners from Austria and the Netherlands, has highlighted an unseen issue with plastic pollution: The researchers have found that the amount of plastic pollution may be under-reported, and we are suffering from multiple blind spots regarding the amount of plastic in our waterways. The researchers suspect […]
24 Nov 2022
Twaite shad at River Severn spawning ground after 180 years
For the first time in 180 years an endangered and rare fish has reached an ancient spawning ground. The BBC has reported that DNA tests from samples have shown that the twaite shad, a type of herring, is present in the River Severn. The discovery was made by the Worcestershire project, Unlocking the Severn, that […]
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