Key Takeaway
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.
Published August 6, 2026 · Category: News
Overview
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.
Details
Each of the country’s rivers, lakes and estuaries was assessed by the Environment Agency as part of a six-yearly evaluation of England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas – or “forever chemicals” – to microplastics. Waters were also checked against a range of standards covering wildlife, water quality and physical habitat.
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Source
Originally published at www.theguardian.com.
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What is "All bodies of water in England polluted with toxic chemicals, official data shows" about?+
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 of England’s water quality. The EA checked for a range of toxic chemicals, from Pfas – or “forever chemicals” – to m
Who reported this story?+
This story was reported by The Guardian World.