16 Oct 2024

Pollution, habitat degradation, impacts of climate change, and the over-use of freshwater resources are putting pressure on Europe’s lakes, rivers, coastal waters and groundwaters like never before. According to the largest assessment on the health of Europe’s water bodies, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), Europe is not on track to meet its […]

16 Oct 2024

Reported in The Guardian A freshwater lake that attracts more than 30,000 swimmers a year is under threat of closure from an Environment Agency (EA) plan to reduce flooding that will channel in polluted river water, according to campaigners. Almost 50,000 people have signed a petition calling on the EA and Surrey county council to reroute the flood […]

02 Oct 2024

New research has found high levels of antibiotics and other drugs have been found in water in the country’s most treasured and protected landscapes, raising concerns over antimicrobial resistance. The research, published in August in the journal Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, revealed that many of the UK waterways, including protected rivers that run through national parks, […]

01 Oct 2024

A new report from conservation group Oceana UK has been published revealing the true extent of oil pollution. The report titled ‘Sea Slick: The true scale and impact of chronic oil pollution in UK seas’ says oil pollution in UK seas has been “significantly underestimated due an opaque system of self-reporting by oil companies that […]

25 Sep 2024

Helen Wakeham, Director of Water, writes how public concern around pollution in England’s waterways has increased markedly in recent years, with the actions of water companies, and particularly pollution from storm overflow discharges receiving widespread attention. She says that World Rivers Day presents a good opportunity to not only take a look at the state […]

18 Sep 2024

By Michelle Jackson, associate professor of freshwater/marine ecology at the University of Oxford Public outrage over river pollution has been heartening to see. Over the past few years, stories about sewage contamination in rivers have captured public attention, and prompted campaigns and protests, such as the forthcoming River Action UK march for clean water on […]

18 Sep 2024

An investigation by the Environment Agency into Severn Trent Water revealed that raw sewage from a blocked sewer had been discharged into a brook near Gloucester – impacting about 1.7km of the watercourse. The case has ended in the water company agreeing an Enforcement Undertaking (EU) with the Environment Agency and giving Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust […]

18 Sep 2024

Blue Mussels & Water Pollution: Protecting Wales’s River Conwy – Cool Green Science (nature.org) North Wales is renowned for its lush landscapes, temperate climate and ample rainfall. The region’s natural beauty is underscored by its rugged mountains and tranquil rivers. The Conwy River, called Afon Conwy in Welsh, originates in the Migneint Moorlands of Snowdonia. […]