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All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows

The Guardian UK Thursday 06 August 2026, 10:03 UTC By Pippa Neill Environment reporter 1 min read
Key Points

Environment Agency assessments find just 14.3% of country’s surface waters in good ecological statusEvery single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status. Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency as part of a six-yearly evaluation into England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas forever chemicals to...

Environment Agency assessments find just 14.3% of country’s surface waters in good ecological status

Every single English water body is polluted with toxic chemicals, new government data shows, while just 14.3% of surface waters achieved good ecological status.

Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency as part of a six-yearly evaluation into England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas forever chemicals to microplastics. Waters were also checked against a range of standards covering wildlife, water quality and physical habitat.

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England (LOCATION) Environment Agency (ORG) the Environment Agency (ORG) EA (ORG) Pfas (PERSON)
Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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