21 May 2026
Image description: Fungi growing on a tree stump with a waterfall in the background. Image by Christoph Schütz from Pixabay The winners of the sixth Water Breakthrough Challenge have been announced, with 19 pioneering projects set to receive a share of £58 million from Ofwat’s Water Innovation Fund. The Challenge seeks to transform how the water […]
14 May 2026
Image description: A dandelion amongst drought-stricken grass. Image by Myriams-Fotos from Pixabay A strikingly dry spring in the south and east Reporting on the latest UK hydrological survey, the Guardian highlights that one of the driest Aprils on record for central and southern England has left river levels below normal, raising fears of drought in some […]
30 Apr 2026
Photo by Thomas Iversen on Unsplash The High Court has begun hearing on of the UK’s biggest ever environmental pollution claims, concerning the rivers Wye, Lugg and Usk. Avara Foods, one of the UK’s largest chicken producers, and Welsh Water stand accused of negligence, causing private and public nuisance and even trespass, in a […]
23 Apr 2026
Photo by Brandon on Unsplash Scientists are increasingly detecting common human drugs making their way into rivers, lakes and oceans around the world, with largely unknown consequences for aquatic wildlife. A first-of-its-kind study has revealed traces of cocaine polluting rivers and lakes may accumulate in the brains of salmon and disrupt their behaviour, with […]
15 Apr 2026
Image description: View from Sabrina Bridge over River Severn in Worcester. Photo by Darren Tolley on Unsplash New figures released by the Environment Agency (EA) show £8.5 million has been collected from water companies through Enforcement Undertakings (EUs) over the last financial year – the highest annual total on record. The EA says these EUs will be reinvested directly into repairing harm to rivers and habitats. What […]
02 Apr 2026
Image description: Aerial view of a water treatment facility. Photo by Patrick Federi on Unsplash A step change in regulatory scrutiny The Environment Agency (EA) confirmed it has completed over 10,000 inspections of water company assets in the past year, more than double the 4,600 carried out in 2024/25, marking a record level of surveillance. […]
26 Mar 2026
Image description: Salmon jumping upstream. Image by Danny Moore from Pixabay. Migratory freshwater fish populations vital to river health and sustaining the livelihoods of millions of people are in freefall and risk collapse, a major UN assessment has warned. Freshwater fish face multiple threats and are “among the most imperiled vertebrates”, according to the most comprehensive assessment to […]
05 Mar 2026
Image description: A landscape photo of a section of the River Thames at sunrise. Photo by Paul Macallan on Unsplash The Environment Agency and the University of Stirling have published a new report on the links between phosphorus concentrations and ecology in English rivers. While phosphorus is an essential nutrient for the growth of […]
