Image description: A wide view of a lake, grass and mountains in Cockermouth Cumbria. Photo by Joy Roxas on Unsplash
Discovery and investigation of ‘toxic pollution hotspots’
The Guardian has exclusively revealed a number of ‘toxic pollution hotspots’ has been uncovered across Cumbria and Lancashire, with high levels of the banned cancer-causing “forever chemical” Pfos detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sites.
Pfos is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (Pfas), commonly referred to as “forever chemicals” due to their longevity in the natural environment, taking hundreds to thousands of years to break down. They are widely used in consumer products and some have been linked to a range of serious health problems.
Scale and source of the contamination
The scale of the contamination was uncovered by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian after a freedom of information request revealed high concentrations of Pfos in Environment Agency samples taken in January 2025.
The contaminationreportedly extends across an area of outstanding natural beauty with multiple protections for wildlife and habitats. Twenty-five sites recorded Pfos concentrations well above drinking water guideline limits of 100ng/l for the combined total of 48 Pfas compounds. At one site, groundwater contained Pfos at 3,840ng/l, alongside elevated levels of other banned Pfas compounds.
Possible sources of Pfos contamination identified in the Environment Agency’s March 2025 report include a paper mill in Beetham, where Pfas are known to have been used. Sites where Pfas-contaminated paper pulp may have been spread on land are also flagged as potential hotspots where Pfas could contaminate soils and enter the food chain. Since June 2025 the mill has been operated by a new legal entity, and Robyn Khan, director of the new operator Pelta Medical Papers told the Guardian that “since this acquisition, there has been no use of Pfas-based chemicals on site, and the mill does not manufacture paper containing Pfas.”
The Environment Agency report also identified five historical landfills and one operational landfill as possible sources of Pfas, alongside sewage treatment works, fire stations and discharges from caravan parks.
Responsibility
The Guardian report says a resident whose business’s private well is polluted claimed they found out back in November 2021, after being “unofficially” informed by an individual at the Environment Agency and stopped drinking the water immediately. According to the resident, the agency had been testing the well for about 35 years because of concerns about “chemical drift” in the groundwater. However, they claimed the agency “offered no help” when contacted by the concerned resident, and they were instead directed to their local council.
The Environment Agency said it identified elevated levels of Pfas in the area in 2022 through its national surveillance monitoring programme, but stressed that responsibility for protecting users of private water supplies lies with local authorities. The agency said it alerted the private borehole owner after detecting Pfas above drinking water guidelines and advised them to contact the local council. It added that councils, the UK Health Security Agency, the Food Standards Agency and the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) were informed in 2025.
The affected resident claims that when they contacted Westmorland and Furness council “they wished I had not been told, as they could not even test for Pfas.” When asked by the resident to trace the source of the pollution, allegedly “no one seemed interested”.
Westmorland and Furness council said it was informed by the Environment Agency about the contaminated supply in late 2021 and that the business switched over to the mains water supply. As spokesperson told the Guardian “the council has continued to support the business to ensure compliance in line with statutory requirements and the provision of a safe water supply. These arrangements remain in place and are being managed to ensure there is no risk to public safety”.
Can the government’s Pfas plan go far enough?
The government’s new Pfas action plan sets out proposals to tighten controls on the chemicals, including new guidance on contaminated land, a consultation on statutory limits on Pfas levels in drinking water, and potentially tougher rules for industrial sites. However many, including Water UK, have said this plan does not go far enough and want to see Pfas banned altogether, in line with the EU’s proposed Pfas ban.
Hannah Evans from the environmental charity Fidra told the Guardian: “This is yet another case demonstrating just how prevalent Pfas pollution is and the real-world consequences. Persistent chemicals should not be in our drinking water, our food, or our bodies. We urgently need to turn off the tap and transition the UK towards Pfas-free alternatives, many of which are already widely available.”