- The Environment Agency says all rivers in England are unable to achieve the “good” chemical status through strict chemical review.
- Less than 14.3% of rivers in England have been able to reach a good ecological status by 2025; the indicator for 2019 was 16.3%, but with no possibility of comparing it to the new assessment methods.
- Overall, 4,658 water bodies were assessed; for 41% of them, it was possible to achieve a good status against 37% in 2019.
The Environment Agency says it is impossible to achieve a “good” chemical status for England’s rivers due to the presence of certain chemical pollutants. It notes that this is due to ongoing research, which has shown that PFOS levels in water have not fallen enough. The agency adds that the results of the ongoing assessment show that in 2025, 14.3% of assessed water bodies will have a good ecological status. The agency also points out that the figure for 2019 was 16.3%, but Environment Agency explains that there is no way to directly compare the results due to changes in assessment methods.
Overall, the agency assessed 4,658 water bodies, and it was possible to achieve a good status for 41% of them. The Environment Agency says that this is because standard requirements for living organisms, which are used to assess ecological status, have not been met.
The report also notes that the classification of water bodies by “good” chemical status is based on whether they contain certain elements, with PFOS being one of the pollutants. It also states that 82% of the water bodies may have a “good” or “high” status.
According to the report, in 2025 two-thirds (65.4%) of water bodies will have a “good” ecological status, 17% will be “moderate”, 3.1% will be “bad”, and less than 0.1% will be “high status”. For the assessment of water bodies, it says that 41% will have a good status against 37% in 2019.
The report also states that none of the water bodies can achieve a “good” chemical status due to the presence of certain chemicals, including PFOS, for which levels are not falling. It also notes that the chemicals may be difficult to remove.
Under the Water Framework Directive Regulations, the deadline for achieving a “good” chemical status for all water bodies is set for 2027. However, the Guardian reports that Environment Agency is not expecting a “good” chemical status for 2063, with the strictest requirements, for which it says would be difficult to meet.
The Environment Agency also says it is working on plans to reduce chemical pollution in rivers, including through the use of new technologies and improvements to monitoring. It also notes that it expects to reduce the number of rivers that do not meet chemical standards by 4,000 to 6,000 over the next three years.
Environment Agency Alan Lovell said in an Independent interview that the results show that water bodies cannot reach the standards they want. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle, who commented on the matter, said it was also due to “wholesale change” in the way water is assessed.
The report was also criticized by environmental groups. The report says that the material was presented by Guardian Ami McCarthy (Greenpeace UK), who called it a “disappointing” result, while Independent River Action said the report was “misleading”. Independent Water UK’s representative said the report should focus on the real causes of water pollution, including the role of transport and the need to invest in infrastructure to reduce pollution.