Fewer than 15 per cent of water bodies in England are in a good ecological state, despite a legally binding target that 75 per cent should meet this standard by next year.
The latest report on the condition of water bodies by the Environment Agency (EA) has revealed the dire state of England’s rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwater.
It takes into consideration the level of pollutants and the number of fish and invertebrates.
Only 14.3 per cent of water bodies are assessed to have at least “good” ecological health. Not a single river or lake is in good chemical health due to the high levels of toxic substances.
The EA assessed all 4,658 surface water bodies against a range of standards set out by the European Union, under legislation that was retained by the UK following Brexit. Its report is published every six years.
The UK has a legal target that three quarters of water bodies must have a good ecological status by 2027, but the latest classifications confirm that is likely to be missed by a wide margin.
“These dire figures highlight not only the worrying state of our rivers, but also just how far the Government is from meeting its own targets,” said Justin Neal, head of legal at the charity WildFish. “As things stand, the Government is woefully short of meeting its target of 75 per cent.”
Poor ecological health
A water body is assessed as being in good ecological health if it is clean and supports a range of thriving wildlife. To assess this, the EA tests for a range of pollutants, including ammonia and phosphates, as well as looking at what is living in the water.
If a water body performs poorly on just one of these elements it cannot be assessed as being in “good” ecological health.
Only 14.3 per cent achieved this standard, compared with 16.3 per cent in 2019. However, the EA said it had updated its methods of analysis, meaning that the two datasets are not comparable directly.
Phosphate pollution was identified as one of the leading reasons why water bodies failed to achieve a good ecological status. The pollutant makes its way into rivers via sewage discharges or agricultural run-off. When found in excess, phosphates deprive rivers of oxygen and cause toxic algal blooms.
James Wallace, CEO of River Action, said the latest classifications showed England’s rivers are “poisoned by sewage from polluting, profit-driven water companies and by industrial-scale agriculture”.
Toxic ‘forever chemicals’
Not a single river in England is classified as being in good chemical health – the same result as in 2019.
This is driven almost entirely by a small group of chemicals, including PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) a “forever chemical” that was widely used as a stain repellent and in firefighting; and PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) which were formerly used as flame retardants.
Both are associated with a range of health issues in wildlife and humans. PFOS, for example, has been linked to developmental problems, reduced fertility and some cancer risk. They are now banned or heavily restricted, but break down so slowly in the environment that they continue to pollute rivers.
Mercury contamination is another persistent problem, largely due to abandoned metal mines and other industrial processes.
The i Paper’s Save Britain’s Rivers campaign has been shining a light on the awful state of Britain’s waterways and calling on the Government to do more to protect them.
Ahead of the 2024 General Election The i Paper published a manifesto that demanded the Government set out a roadmap for achieving its legal target, however ministers are yet to do this.
Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said: “These results underline the need for wholesale change across the water sector. We’ve already introduced landmark legislation to hold water companies to account, secured record investment to help fix infrastructure, and are laser focused on long term reforms that will prevent future failures.”
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