No river in England is free from chemical pollution, government report finds

No river  in England is free from chemical pollution, a new report from Defra has found.

In 2016, when the water was last sampled, 97 per cent of surface water was thought to be ranked ‘Good’ for chemicals from households and farms. However, new sampling methods from the Environment Agency, where they looked at the flesh of fish and shellfish, have shown the true extent of pollution in England’s waters.

This found that in all the surface water sampled, some persistent chemicals were present and being consumed or absorbed by the local aquatic life, including chemicals found in stain repellents and some cosmetics. This means that no surface water bodies have met the criteria for achieving good chemical status.

The report also found that England’s water quality has plateaued, with just 14 per cent of our rivers marked as ecologically ‘Good’.

The figures released today show that the proportion of English waters in good health is one of the worst in Europe, with a European average of 40 per cent of surface water bodies in good health.

Our rivers and lakes are also the least healthy in the UK, with waterbodies in Scotland at 65.7 per cent,  Wales at 64 per cent and 31.3 per cent of rivers in Northern Ireland classed in good health. The Governments’ target in its 25 Year Environment Plan for 75% of waterbodies in England to be in good condition ‘as soon as possible’ (ahead of the 2027 target for all waters) is now ‘all but unachievable’, wildlife charities said.

Ministers said the report made for uncomfortable reading and that it has shown a need for urgent action.

Environment Minister Rebecca Pow said: “We need to go further and faster on reducing the environmental impact from storm overflows and other sources of pollution including chemicals and agriculture.

“These results show we have a long way to go, with a new way of testing for chemicals more accurately reflecting what is in our water environment. While it’s not comfortable reading, this will allow us to plan more effectively to tackle the scourge of pollution.

“We are absolutely committed to achieving the water quality ambitions in our 25 Year Environment Plan to improve at least three quarters of our waters to be as close to their natural state as soon as possible.”

Ms Pow met with water companies earlier this month to discuss their responsibilities when it comes to polluting the environment. Currently, millions of tonnes of sewage and other polluting waste are pumped into our rivers by water companies each year.

While a large amount of the polluting chemicals found in our waters are the result of agriculture, the British public has been warned to reduce household chemical impact on the environment.

Environment Agency sources said households need to stop flushing wet wipes, as this causes blockages which makes the sewage system work less effectively, and that cleaning chemicals should not be flushed down the drain. Ideally, they said, the British public will start to use fewer polluting chemicals in the home.

Richard Benwell, CEO of Wildlife and Countryside Link, said: "Chemicals, sewage, manure, and plastic are polluting our rivers, invasive weeds are choking them, and climate change and over-abstraction are drying them out. Urgent investment is needed now to turn our suffering waters into thriving blue corridors for wildlife. It means investment, industry change, and improved standards are essential, with the legal underpinning in the Environment Bill to make our waters well again."

Nature charities warned that the state of Britain’s rivers means that wildlife has been put at risk. The report found significant water pollution at Poole Harbour SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) in Dorset, with over 2000 tonnes of nitrogen from rivers and wastewater treatment works is coming into the harbour annually and has resulted in profound ecological changes. This is likely to be putting the shelduck at risk, as their declines have been linked by Natural England to reduced food availability as a result of an increase in algal mat cover, which can hinder their ability to feed.

The bittern, Britain’s loudest bird, is also under threat due to water pollution at Leighton Moss SSSI in Morecambe Bay. This is mostly through run-off from dairy farms upstream polluting its environment. The bird went completely extinct from Britain in the 1870s and made a comeback in the 20th century only to teeter back at the brink of extinction in 1997 when just 11 males were left.

Beccy Speight, RSPB CEO said: “Our waterways are the lifeblood of our environment. We think of our rivers, canals lakes and wetlands as beautiful landscape features but they are also vital to life, provide homes for our precious wildlife and, in good condition, can help tackle the climate crisis by storing huge amounts of carbon. But we are wrecking these incredible natural treasures through pollution and by extracting and draining too much water away. It is time for the government to face up to the fact that international and UK targets meant to protect nature have failed – only legally binding targets and transparent, properly funded monitoring will lead to real change for nature.”