river pollution
Sewage spills into England’s rivers and seas more than doubled last year, with 3.6 million hours of spills reported compared to 1.75 million hours in 2022
An investigation found that the water supplier had inadequate contingency plans, including a major pump being out of action for 52 days
Thames Water treatment plants, including those on multiple rivers and the Thames itself, are reportedly discharging sewage into almost every river upstream of Oxford, with one discharge in Witney lasting over 100 hours
Three major water companies in the UK are suspected of engaging in illegal sewage discharges even when it wasn’t raining
The government has unveiled plans to eliminate EU-era regulations related to nutrient neutrality, paving the way for the construction of over 100,000 homes in England by 2030
Nearly 1,200 sewage overflow pipes in England and Wales discharged raw sewage for over 300,000 hours last year in protected wildlife habitats, according to a report
A judge has ruled that Thames Water’s actions resulted in severe pollution of rivers in Sussex and Surrey, causing the death of thousands of fish
The Environment Agency’s initial assessment suggests “widespread” and “serious” non-compliance of environmental permit conditions by all water companies
Up to 101 chemicals have been detected in river samples, including the rivers Mersey, Thames, Trent, Irwell, Medway, Humber and Avon, according to a study
Next year, a ban is set to be implemented, but critics argue that this is not the first time the government has promised to tackle the issue of wet wipes