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The Northern Ireland Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced measures to tackle water pollution by improving regulation.

The River Dochart has reportedly been affected by an oil spill, resulting in a major contamination incident. Residents of the nearby village of Killin in Scotland have been told not to drink tap water due to contamination fears. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is currently looking into finding the origins of the spill and to hopefully resolve it. Scottish Water has also been on hand to supply water through temporary water tankers for residents. It has gone d

As part of further efforts by the Environment Agency to try to curb water pollution, it has introduced a new water monitoring app named Blueprint. The app uses both Environment Agency pollution data, such as pollution risk, as well as allowing the public to input data of local waterways, like water quality, and whether users can see signs of pollution. The app uses geolocation to track and manage data. Blueprint's launch supplements the agency's double-down in enforcement ove

As part of its growing effort to tackle the damaging impacts of water pollution, the Environment Agency has expanded its enforcement team to its largest ever workforce. The agency has doubled down on enforcement officers, lawyers, and investigators to expand its power to hold those who pollute UK waters accountable. The fivefold increase in personnel has, according to the Environment Agency, led to better performance and an increase in inspections to record levels, resulting

Researchers from Shenyang Agricultural University have developed a new material that effectively degrades the ‘forever chemical’ PFOA.  By turning Ulva algae into a biochar (charcoal) with added Iron Oxide and Zinc Oxide, scientists were able to create a nanoreactor that traps and degrades PFOA pollution using light. The researchers found that the material removed approximately 97% of PFOA from water, owing to its large, porous surface area, which enables efficient degradatio

There is growing concern about pollution from external sources in the River Welland after a light-blue fluid was seen gushing into its waters. As reported by Harborough FM , Anglian Water is investigating. The water company has confirmed that the discolouration has not been caused by work to trace leaks, which is common practice for water companies. Further investigation is underway to identify the source. Hopefully, more information will become available soon to pinpoint the

The largest lake in the UK, Lough Neagh, once beautiful and clear, is now covered in blue and green algae blooms, a consequence of pollution from farm runoff, among other factors. According to the Belfast News Letter, a new project to identify pollutants in Lough Neagh will launch next month. Costing around £920,000, the project will use innovative DNA methods to identify pollution pathways, opting for these over more traditional approaches due to their ineffectiveness in fin

The residents of Droxford, a village in Hampshire, peacefully protested on Saturday to see Four Wheel Drive cars banned from using and damaging the River Meon - a protected chalk stream. The cars have been found driving up 200m of the protected water for recreational use, likely causing damage to the riverbed and disturbing key wildlife and biodiversity that call the river home. The campaigners have been protesting to get better protection for the chalk stream. Threatened by

A recent report published by Natural Resources Wales has shed light on the impact pollution, climate change, and other factors, such as invasive species, are having on freshwater ecosystems in Wales. Titled 'State of Natural Resources Report 2025,' the report found that species such as salmon are continuing to decline, and that freshwater ecosystems have not improved in resilience since 2020. The study concludes that species such as Salmon may become extinct in some local riv

An Angling Trust article has shed light on the environmental damage and pollution caused by phosphates in tap water. According to data gathered from the trust's Water Quality Monitoring Network (WQMN), 1,200 tonnes of phosphate are leaking from lead pipes into the environment. 25% of tap water is estimated to be lost in England due to leakage, leading to phosphorus pollution of our precious waterways. The WQMN found that 62% of the tap water samples collected had phosphate le

Image Credit: PA Media  and Environment Agency A full investigation has been launched into the abnormal appearance of layers of foam in the River Thet in Norfolk. The foam, which appeared two days ago, has led to the death of small fish and wildlife. The Environment Agency has launched the inquiry, testing samples from the river in the hope of identifying the pollutant. The Environment Agency has advised the public not to enter the water or allow animals to drink it, and has

The Countryside Alliance Foundation (TCAF) has launched a groundbreaking new qualification - 'Angling and Countryside' as part of the organisation's Fishing for Schools programme. The new credential was launched at a parliamentary reception on the 14th of October and will be equivalent to levels from GCSE to A Level, ranging from levels 1 to 3. Students undertaking the 'Angling and Countryside' qualification will be able to hone their angling and develop transferable skills t

As reported by the Daily Record, over twenty hectares of peatland will be restored around Loch Moan in the Galloway forest as part of environmental efforts to ensure biodiversity and the flourishing of ecosystems in the area. The Galloways Fishery's Trust and Forestry and Land Scotland will partner on the project. The peatland restoration will create a forest bog to enhance environmental resilience in the fight against climate change. In particular, the Galloways Fishery Trus

A study conducted in the United States has outlined the implications of global warming on both cold and warm water fish populations. The research analysed 521 freshwater fish populations across 197 lakes in Minnesota and Wisconsin between 1980 and 2021. Analysing the impact of warming water temperatures, the paper showed that fishing had a far larger impact on fish populations than warming across 92% of species. Interestingly, it also found that warm water species benefited f

Thousands have signed a lawsuit to protest against river pollution in the River Wye, Usk, and Lugg. As reported by the BBC , almost 4,000 people have signed the case, making it the largest environmental lawsuit in the UK. Multiple firms have been sued, including key water and poultry companies in the area. The suit comes as residents claim that pollution has been caused by sewage being directly dumped into the rivers and by agricultural byproducts from farms. Residents also a

A new study conducted by the University of Bournemouth has shed light on the levels of chronic stress exhibited by carp in recreational settings compared to those in their natural habitats. Research led by Bournemouth University Professor Robert Britton found that domesticated carp exhibited lower cortisol levels than wild carp and, by extension, chronic stress. Professor Britton and his team compared five recreational fisheries with five wild carp populations to gather the