The latest Environment Agency assessment has highlighted the continuing pressure on England’s rivers, lakes and coastal waters, with only around one in seven currently classed as being in good ecological condition.

None of the waterways assessed passed a separate test for chemical pollution. The Environment Agency points to the accumulation of substances including heavy metals and persistent chemicals, alongside wider pressures from sewage, agricultural runoff, pesticides and pollution washed from roads.

Phosphate pollution remains a particular concern, with around half of rivers exceeding safe levels. Low river flows during periods of drought can make matters worse by concentrating pollutants, while hotter and drier summers linked to climate change could increase these pressures in future.

The findings underline how closely water quality, biodiversity, pollution and climate resilience are connected.

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