_By Dr Rob Bradburne, Environment Agency Chief Scientist_ **How does climate change affect drought?** This summer has been a reminder that climate change is no longer something we talk about in terms of future generations. For many people, this summer meant coping with prolonged heat, dry gardens, lower river levels, pressure on local water supplies and the challenge of keeping homes, schools and workplaces comfortable during extreme weather. For others, it has meant concern about the future of local wildlife, favourite rivers and green spaces. At the same time, nature has been feeling the strain too, as habitats face increasing pressure from hotter, drier conditions. New research has shown we need 120% of typical rainfall over the next seven months for all areas to be considered out of drought. These experiences help us to understand what a changed climate might mean for us in England. They provide a glimpse of what life could feel like in the future as extreme weather becomes more frequent and more intense. I regularly hear from communities, volunteers and citizen scientists who are worried about the health of their local rivers, declining biodiversity and the condition of the natural places they care about most. I share their concerns. Protecting people and the environment from these growing pressures is one of the reasons science sits at the heart of everything the Environment Agency does. **What do weather extremes really mean?** The Met Office recently declared summer 2026 the hottest on record for the UK. But looking further ahead, the climate models predict that temperatures that feel exceptional today will become increasingly common in the decades to come. The Met Office helps us understand how weather patterns may change as our climate continues to warm. Our role is to understand what those changes mean for people, water resources and the environment. _What does a hotter summer mean for rivers and wetlands? What happens to water supplies when rainfall becomes less reliable? Which communities, habitats and species may become more vulnerable?_ These are the questions our scientists work to answer every day. The UK's ecosystems developed in a climate where rainfall was generally plentiful and relatively predictable. When that rainfall is no longer so predictable, or when it does come, it can cause flooding or runoff not easily retained in the environment, there can be less water to sustain rivers, wetlands and wider water-dependent just when they need it. At the same time, society’s demand for water continues to grow. So, as our own need for water is increasing during hot dry periods, so too is the environment's, with more water needed to maintain healthy rivers, wetlands and habitats and support the wildlife that depends upon them. Haweswater North West **How does science help the Environment Agency take action?** Science underpins how we regulate, manage water resources and prepare for climate change. It helps us understand what is happening now, identify emerging risks and plan for future challenges. Most importantly, it helps us turn evidence into action. Our scientists and hydrologists continuously keep an eye on rainfall, river flows, groundwater levels and reservoir storage across England. This evidence helps us understand drought conditions as they develop and assess the risks to people, water supplies and the environment. We use that evidence alongside partners through the National Drought Group and regional drought groups to respond to changing conditions in real time. Working with water companies, government, farmers and environmental organisations, we can agree practical actions such as increasing monitoring of vulnerable rivers and habitats, promoting water efficiency and managing water resources more carefully during dry periods. The evidence also informs decisions about drought status and helps identify places where wildlife and habitats are under pressure. Science is not something that happens alongside decision-making; it absolutely underpins how we regulate, the advice we provide and the actions we take. **How does science help the Environment Agency improve understanding?** We are also improving our understanding of how climate extremes affect both people and the environment. Some of our work focuses on understanding which habitats are most vulnerable to drought, which rivers (e.g., our internationally rare chalk streams) face the greatest pressures and how environmental recovery can take years after prolonged dry conditions. Other research examines how changing water temperatures and water quality could affect ecosystems and wildlife in the future. We’re not only responding to today's conditions. We work with partners to develop and use future climate projections, helping us understand what changing weather patterns could mean for water availability, environmental resilience and the way we manage natural resources in future decades. Continuing to invest in science and evidence will be critical if we are to keep pace with, and stay ahead of, the rate of environmental change. Our science is shared widely with government, water companies, researchers, environmental partners and the public, helping inform decisions across sectors. **Why does household water use matter?** One fact that might surprise you is that public water supply accounts for around 51% of freshwater abstraction in England. By comparison, agriculture accounts for around 1%. In other words, much of the water abstracted from the environment supports the water we use every day in our homes, schools, workplaces and public services. That is why the actions we take as individuals matter - especially during prolonged dry weather, when pressure on rivers, groundwater, wildlife and habitats can increase quickly. **How can you save water during dry weather?** We know people's actions make a difference. Water companies can see the impact in their demand data and research discussed through the National Drought Group suggests restrictions such as hosepipe bans can reduce demand by up to 4.5%. Some water companies have also reported demand reductions of around 9% following water-saving campaigns and restrictions. Millions of small actions, taken across millions of households, quickly add up. Taking shorter showers, fixing leaks, using water carefully in the garden and talking to others about why it matters are not token gestures. They reduce the amount of water we need to take from rivers and groundwater, helping protect supplies for people in the future and leaving more water available for wildlife, wetlands and the natural systems that sustain life around us today. Find out more on how to save water here. **How does the Environment Agency plan for the future?** Climate change is already affecting how people experience the environment around them. Through science, monitoring, forecasting and long-term planning, we are improving our understanding of what these changes mean and how we can respond. As we move into autumn, we are relying on our scenario planning to help predict when we will recover from drought. This work is essential to helping us manage today's pressures while preparing for tomorrow's challenges. But resilience is not built by one organisation alone. The choices we make about water, both during droughts and between them, play an important role in protecting future water supplies and the rivers, wetlands and wildlife that make England's environment so special. By combining science, evidence and collective action, we can do a lot to stay ahead of a changing climate and help ensure that both people and nature are better prepared for the future. Find out more about the Environment Agency's research and evidence here - Environment Agency Chief Scientist's Group core research - GOV.UK

_In 2022, after 46 years of generation, Hinkley Point B (HPB) switched off its last operational reactor and began defueling. The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) declared the site free of nuclear fuel in January 2026. Alister, our Hinkley Point B nuclear regulator, explains how the Environment Agency is regulating the power station as it moves to the next stage of the nuclear life cycle._ **What’s happening at Hinkley Point B?** On 1 October 2026 Hinkley Point B’s environmental permits transferred from EDF to Nuclear Restoration Services (NRS), marking the start of the next step of the decommissioning journey. Decommissioning of Advanced Gas Cooled Reactor (AGR) sites is led by NRS, and HPB is the first AGR in England to transfer, following Hunterston B in Scotland in April. **Who regulated HPB before the Environment Agency?** Hinkley Point B began generating in 1976. During the station’s lifespan environmental law and protection has continued to evolve as our scientific knowledge and understanding has progressed. Before 1996 most environmental regulation of HPB was carried out by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Pollution (HMIP) and its predecessors. The big change to environmental regulation of nuclear power stations came in 1996 with the formation of the Environment Agency. **Environment Agency regulation - from the 1990s to 2025** We’ve been regulating Hinkley Point B for 30 years. Operators of nuclear sites must have an environmental permit for radioactive substances activities (RSR). The RSR permit for Hinkley Point B contains strict conditions (rules) that operators must always follow. We set limits on what they are allowed to release when carrying out certain activities such as disposing of radioactive waste or discharging to air and water into the environment. Read more about our regulation during the operational phase on our previous blog. In June 2025, EDF asked to change its radioactive substances permit. The reactors were no longer operational, and the site was fuel free. Environmental permits must represent the activities taking place and the changes reflected the reducing radiological hazard and risk from HPB. Similar changes can be seen at other sites as they move through decommissioning phases. In July 2025 we received a joint application for the transfer of the radioactive substances permit from the current operator EDF to a new operator, NRS. It has been a huge team effort and, with our colleagues in Wessex area and our National Permitting Service, we’ve also transferred the Water Discharge Activity Permit, two closed landfill permits, a Combustion activity permit and a water abstraction activity. The permit for the District Survey Laboratory at Combwich was surrendered, with laboratory activities moving to the HPB site. As part of the surrender EDF demonstrated, through a final radiological survey, the absence of radioactive material and contamination within the laboratory facility. Our regulation includes asking HPB to monitor its radioactive discharges and waste. We carry out our own independent monitoring to reassure both ourselves and the public and publish the results in our annual report. **What will regulation at HPB look like in the future?** We will continue to regulate HPB through decommissioning, ensuring the environment is protected and the management of radioactive waste is fully considered along with sustainability and the ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change. We have many years of experience regulating decommissioning nuclear facilities. An example of this is next door at Hinkley Point A (HPA). HPA has seen many changes on site since it stopped generating in 2000, with the removal of plant, the installation of waste treatment and storage facilities and remediation of land. During decommissioning activities include a focus on reduction of hazards (radiological, chemical). Since defueling HPB has been removing environmental hazards on site including bulk storage of oils and chemicals. This year our regulation has focused on EDF maintaining compliance with current permit conditions, processing the permit transfer and seeking assurances that the transition from EDF to NRS meets our requirements. Going forward we’ll initially focus on how well the site has transitioned and adjusted to a new operator. Our role is to ensure that the operator has managed this change process and is still compliant with our permits. We’ll also learn lessons which we can apply to the permit transfer process for the remaining AGR fleet. NRS will also be developing and progressing decommissioning plans – and we’ll provide advice and guidance and ensure they comply with the requirements of the permit and BAT. Community engagement will remain an important part of my role. We’ll continue to run our own ‘meet the regulator’ meetings, attend and report to the Site Stakeholder Group and respond to general enquiries from the community about our regulation of the site. * Read about decommissioning from EDF Nuclear decommissioning – how is a power station decommissioned? | EDF * Read about the handover from Nuclear Restoration Services UK’s decommissioning mission continues to expand - GOV.UK * Read about the Office for Nuclear Regulation’s granting of a nuclear site licence to NRS ONR gives green light for Hinkley Point B licence transfer to Nuclear Restoration Services | Office for Nuclear Regulation * Read about our regulation at Hinkley Point Hinkley Point: nuclear regulation - GOV.UK If you’ve got any questions about our work at Hinkley Point B contact us at nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

Every year, the Environment Agency processes over 13,000 permit applications. These decisions cover an enormous range of activity. From a small waste transfer site to permits regulating how the nation handles nuclear waste, every single one matters because they protect the air, land and water we all depend on. This blog explains what an environmental permit is, why we're transforming how our permitting service works, and what this means for applicants. Metals recycling site inspection **What is an environmental permit for, and who needs one?** An environmental permit sets the conditions under which someone can carry out an activity that could affect the environment. That means if someone wants to operate with the potential to cause pollution, increase the risk of flooding, or affect land drainage or water resources, it needs our permission. Check if you need one here. When applying, the business explains how they will meet the standards needed to protect the environment and human health under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (EPR). EPR protects air, land, water, people and nature by requiring measures that prevent environmental harm before it occurs. We review whether the activity will meet EPR’s requirements and consult the public and professional partners where needed. If an application meets all legal and technical needs, and there are no grounds for refusal under the relevant legislation, we can issue the permit. **How the permitting system is changing** We oversee more than 100,000 permits across waste, water, industrial emissions, flood risk and radioactive substances. That variety brings real complexity, handled every day by our regulatory professionals. But it also highlights real opportunities to improve how the system works. Businesses have told us they want more certainty about timescales, and communities have told us they want more transparency about how decisions are made. That's why we're making targeted improvements across guidance, digital tools and processes to make permitting faster, clearer and more consistent, without ever compromising on the scrutiny that higher-risk permits need. By March 2029, we've committed to determining 95% of permits on time. We're already there for our simplest permits, and we're building that same standard across every category. **What does this mean for people applying for permits?** We're already starting to see real results. Our backlog is down over three-quarters, queue times are at a three-year low, and we are now processing 83% of all permitting applications on time. Enhanced validation has also cut determination times for complex applications by roughly 100 days. This progress is being delivered through a broader set of changes, including new digital services, clearer guidance, and dedicated support for the most complex projects. Here's what that looks like in practice. The Apply for and Manage Environmental Permissions service will let businesses submit and manage environmental permissions online, end to end, for the first time. It's now publicly available for the application stage, covering activities from vehicle dismantling and metal recycling to waste storage and treatment, mobile plant deployments and herbicide agreements - with more services to follow. The new Priority Tracked provides dedicated, wrap-around support for developments with multiple complex permitting needs over long durations. It's already supporting over 60 major developments across housing, energy, mining and technology. Building on this progress, we've established Nature Permitting and Coordination, offering a single point of contact and coordinated support for nature recovery projects requiring multiple environmental permits and licences. Together, these services are driving a more coordinated permitting service with better outcomes for sustainable growth and nature recovery. **What happens next, and how applicants can help speed things up** Businesses and investors need confidence that decisions will be timely and consistent. We continue to review the tools and guidance available to support a good-quality application. Equally, communities deserve confidence that those decisions will protect and enhance the environment they care about. We're working to deliver both. You can help too. If you're applying for a permit, especially a complex one, you can use our pre-application service and provide complete, high-quality information from the start. Getting it right first time is the biggest thing you can do to help us decide faster. Efficient and effective permitting is one of the strongest tools we have to protect homes and habitats while enabling the development the country needs, and we're making real progress. For further updates, follow the Chief Regulator's LinkedIn page.

Water is essential for drinking, farming, industry, wildlife and recreation. Sustainable water abstraction is essential to ensure that river flows and groundwater levels support ecology and natural resilience. We work side by side with abstractors, combining their knowledge of the land with ours, to safeguard the environment and balance the needs of the society, the economy, industry and farmers over the long term. The pressures are real: floods and droughts are hitting harder and more often. 2026 has seen the driest July in 190 years, with just 5 per cent of expected rainfall and the joint hottest August on record. The summer overall saw 64 per cent of expected rainfall, resulting in a very difficult harvest for farmers and impacts on fish stocks, bird populations, and wider ecosystems. New research has shown we need 120 per cent of typical rainfall over the next seven months for all areas to be considered out of drought. This has placed significant demands on abstraction, particularly for irrigation, and agricultural reservoir stocks have declined rapidly, especially where abstractors rely heavily on storage. If you own, operate or are planning to build a reservoir, our new planning guides explain the requirements. **What are abstraction licences?** Abstraction is the process of taking water from a river, lake or groundwater source for uses such as irrigation, industry, recreation or drinking water. We grant abstraction licences to protect the environment and the rights of existing lawful water users. Those with abstraction licences are allowed to take water in line with the**** conditions of their licence. Abstracting more than 20 cubic metres a day generally requires a licence, though some activities, such as firefighting, are exempt. If you take water from the same source at multiple points, the combined total must be 20 cubic metres or less a day to qualify for exemption. If you don't hold a licence, you may be able to agree a trade or share with an existing licence holder, permanently or temporarily, provided all licence conditions can still be met. Where an abstraction is moved to a different abstraction point, the buyer of the abstraction right would normally have to apply for their own licence or change their existing licence if they have one. Not all activities require an abstraction licence to take place with some being exempt. Abstraction licence holders can manage their accounts online to see a summary of their licence and past returns. **How can the Environment Agency restrict abstraction?** There are two main types of restrictions that the Environment Agency can implement on abstractors at times of pressure: hands-off flow conditions and Section 57 restrictions. Hands-off flow conditions on licences reduce or prevent abstraction to protect other abstractors and the environment. Many of these restrictions have come into effect in 2026 due to very low river flows. Licence holders who have hands-off flow condition on their licences will be notified when the condition comes into force, with as much advance notice as possible. Section 57 of the Water Resources Act 1991 allows formal notices to be issued to holders of spray irrigation abstraction licences to protect river flows during drought throughout a catchment. Spray irrigation abstraction licence holders can help make the most of the water which their licence authorises to take by: * Monitoring water consumption, ensuring water measurement devices are installed to accurately measure the quantities of water abstracted; * Preventing and dealing with leaks; * Maintaining equipment, making sure it’s properly set up; and * Irrigation scheduling – ensuring the correct amount of water is applied at the right time. Environment Agency updated prospects for irrigation report for summer 2026 can be found on gov.uk. We work closely with farmers, the National Farmers Union (NFU), Water Abstraction Groups (WAGs) and Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) to give as much advanced notice as possible before stopping or reducing conditions are needed on abstraction licences to protect the environment. We continue to carry out irrigation patrols and other compliance checks to ensure all abstractors are complying with their licence conditions to help protect water availability. If abstractors believe that they may not be able to comply with their abstraction licence or have issues accessing water supplies, they should contact their local area Environment Agency office for further advice as soon as possible. **What support is available for those with abstraction licences who may have restrictions in place?** Drought is putting real pressure on farmers this year. From Thursday 1 October, we're letting abstraction licence holders start refilling their water storage reservoirs early, typically a month ahead of schedule. This temporary Regulatory Position Statement runs from 1 October to 31 October. Eligible licence holders can act now, without waiting for a local Environment Agency drought assessment. At a time when every week counts, this means farmers can secure water when they need it most. This isn't a blanket relaxation of the rules. Protecting wildlife and sensitive water environments means some tough decisions: the RPS does not apply to Principal Salmon Rivers or to catchments with a section 57 spray irrigation restriction in place. Where drought restrictions already apply, abstraction stays restricted. Existing licence conditions, including hands-off flow and level constraints, remain in force. Wider general guidance is available for abstraction licence holders affected by prolonged dry weather and drought, alongside short and long-term options to improve water access and resilience. We also have policy positions that allow farmers to take water during flood conditions, supporting opportunities to capture high flows whilst continuing to protect rivers and the wider environment.__ For short term support: * Speak to us about options outside your licence conditions. * Consider water rights trading between licence holders - Trade water abstraction rights - GOV.UK. **Managing abstraction for the long term** We know that getting a long duration abstraction licence has been difficult, and that this has held back investment in sustainable abstraction, including farm storage reservoirs. We have therefore changed how we assess long duration abstraction licence requests, and the evidence needed to support them, for those who don't currently hold a licence. This should make it easier to invest for the long term. New applicants can find out more here. For existing abstractors, there are a number of schemes that can help generate water resilience. For more information on these schemes and how to manage your land and farm in dry weather, including information on looking after livestock, managing farm reservoirs, storing flammable materials and creating firebreaks please visit the Defra Farming Blog. We’re encouraging the establishment of Water Abstractor Groups (WAGs) to work together to understand and jointly plan for their future water needs. Defra provided funding to Regional Water Resources Groups to support these activities and updated guidance to help farmers setup Water Abstractor Groups. We also recently launched the latest round of Local Resource Option (LRO) Screening Studies, helping groups of farmers identify practical solutions for long-term water resilience. The 2026/27 application window is now closed and projects selected, but further projects may be offered on a first-come-first-served basis if funds remain. Contact WRAgriculture@environment-agency.gov.uk for details. **Reporting incidents** If you are out and about, please report incidents to our hotline - **0800 80 70 60**. It's free and open 24 hours a day. Incidents you should report include: * fish in distress; * collapsed or badly damaged riverbanks and beds; * unusual drops in river flow; and * people taking water illegally from rivers, streams, canals or underground sources such as wells. More information on other incidents and how to report can be found on gov.uk. For any further questions you can call our National Customer Contact Centre on **03708 506 506**.

_Elizabeth Maerz, Environment Officer for Cumbria_ Every day, our officers investigate pollution reports across the country's rivers and lakes. Surprisingly often, the cause is something quite ordinary: a household drainage system connected the wrong way round. Windermere, England's largest lake, has become one of the most visible examples of this hidden problem. Here's what misconnections are, why they matter, and how you can help us find and fix them. **How do pipe misconnections happen?** Most modern homes have two separate drainage systems. One carries wastewater from toilets, sinks and washing machines to a treatment works. The other carries rainwater from roofs and driveways straight to rivers and lakes. A misconnection happens when these get mixed up, usually during home improvements or renovations. When wastewater ends up in the surface water system, sewage, detergents and food waste flow directly into rivers and lakes, bypassing treatment entirely. You can sometimes spot one just by looking at the pipework outside a newer property: if a pipe from a bathroom or kitchen is connected to a rainwater downpipe, that's a red flag. These faults are surprisingly common and hard to trace. In 2019, Defra estimated that between 150,000 and 500,000 UK households may have a misconnection, and new ones keep appearing whenever drainage is altered during building work. **Mill Beck: a case in point** Mill Beck, which feeds into Windermere, shows just how tricky these faults can be to pin down. The beck has long had elevated phosphorus and bacteria levels, especially in dry summer months. We first investigated in 2018 and identified where pollution was entering the watercourse. United Utilities repaired nearby sewers, but monitoring by the Environment Agency, Windermere Town Council and the Big Windermere Survey showed the problem hadn't gone away. So, in summer 2025, we went back for more extensive monitoring, and found pollution was still entering at the same spot. That led to a joint investigation with United Utilities and Westmorland and Furness Council, using CCTV surveys and dye testing across the local sewer network. The evidence so far points to misconnections as a likely contributor. Next, we'll be working with residents to carry out further dye testing at properties in the area, to confirm whether domestic drainage is behind the pollution. **How do I report a potential misconnection?** Many of our investigations start with a member of the public noticing something odd while out walking or by the water. Around Windermere especially, local residents and visitors have been vital in flagging unusual smells, discoloured water and visible discharges. Watch out for: * water flowing from a pipe into a river or lake during dry weather * dead fish or distressed wildlife * unpleasant odours or oily sheens * discoloured water * excessive algal growth * sewage litter or sewage fungus Not every discharge is a problem (garden watering run-off is harmless), but a persistent flow in dry weather is a warning sign. If you spot any of these, report it to the Environment Agency online or call our free 24-hour hotline: 0800 80 70 60. Your report could be the missing piece we need to track down a pollution source, whether that's at Windermere or a stream near you. **How does the EA resolve misconnection problems?** Once we've got a report, we investigate; water sampling, checking drainage systems, and working with water companies on dye testing and CCTV surveys to trace exactly where things have gone wrong. You might spot us doing this at Mill Beck in the coming weeks. Fixing a misconnection is legally the property owner's responsibility, and water companies provide guidance to help. Most people sort it out voluntarily; where they don't, local authorities can enforce action under the Building Act 1984. The good news: misconnections can be fixed, and each one we correct helps improve the health of our rivers and lakes. **Working together for cleaner rivers** Misconnections are hidden underground, but their impact is felt in every river, stream and lake we care about, from Windermere to the smallest local brook. Understand the problem, report what you see, and together we can help resolve it. **Understand. Report. Resolve.** **Find out more** * Water UK: plumbing and drainage misconnections * Check for a drainage misconnection * United Utilities: wastewater pollution and misconnections * Report environmental incidents

_By Jo Nettleton, Director of Nuclear._ Last week, representatives from the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) 181 Member States gathered in Vienna for the Agency's 70th General Conference. As governments, regulators and industry leaders discussed the future of nuclear energy, one theme came up time and again in my conversations: how can regulation support innovation, investment and growth while maintaining public confidence and high standards of protection. Those discussions felt particularly relevant to the UK. Nuclear has an important role to play in delivering energy security, economic growth and net zero, and effective regulation will be critical to enabling that ambition. At the Environment Agency, we are helping to unlock a new era of nuclear-enabled growth through trusted, science-led regulation that gives developers, investors and communities the confidence to deploy new technologies, tackle legacy challenges and deliver clean energy while protecting people, places and nature. The Government's response to the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce Review (NRTF) reflected this challenge, recognising the need for regulation to evolve alongside a rapidly changing sector. Last week, we published the Environment Agency's response in a letter recently sent to the Chancellor from our Chief Executive, Philip Duffy. In that response we outlined the integration of our nuclear strategy and regulatory functions into a single directorate. I’m pleased to say that directorate will be headed up by me. As Director of Nuclear, my focus is on improving the pace, predictability and proportionality of regulation while protecting the environment and supporting public confidence. In this blog, I set out how we are turning the Review’s recommendations into practical changes. **Picking up the pace** One of the most important steps we have taken is establishing our Nuclear Transformation Programme to coordinate delivery of the Review’s recommendations, focusing on organisational effectiveness, culture, proportionality and regulatory coordination. Bringing our nuclear strategy and regulatory functions under a single leadership structure creates clear ownership for driving that change. It means clearer accountability, faster decision-making and better escalation of nationally significant issues, helping us remove unnecessary barriers and respond more effectively to change across the sector. We are also modernising our permitting service, improving digital pathways and simplifying our processes to create greater consistency, certainty and efficiency for applicants. All of this means less time spent navigating processes, without compromising the environmental protections that remain the heart of what we do. These changes may not always be visible from the outside, but they are essential to keep pace with the country’s nuclear ambitions. **Focusing on what matters most** The Review rightly places significant emphasis on proportionality. For me, good regulation is measured by the outcomes it delivers, not the volume of process behind it. Proportionality means our people having the confidence to focus attention on the most significant risks, applying professional judgement and obtaining sufficient evidence ~~~~to enable faster decisions. That also means making better use of data, digital tools and AI to strengthen our evidence base and target regulatory effort more effectively. Whether that means modernising guidance, streamlining reporting requirements or supporting innovative approaches to waste management and permitting, our goal is the same: achieving better outcomes through smarter regulation. A good example is enabling the reuse of 17,000 tonnes of concrete from the decommissioning of Sizewell A in the construction of Sizewell C, cutting carbon, cost and the need for new aggregate, while keeping robust environmental controls in place. That is proportionality in practice, and it is exactly the kind of outcome I want to see more of. **Working closer with partners** The Taskforce also challenged regulators to work together differently. I strongly believe that better coordination alongside clear independent decision-making will be one of the bellwethers of future success.~~~~ We are supporting the development of the Lead Nuclear Regulator model, helping create a more coordinated regulatory system where leadership is provided by the organisation with the appropriate expertise at each stage of the nuclear lifecycle. Separate to that, the Lead Environmental Regulator pilot at Sizewell C is aligned to similar aims. It is helping regulators collaborate earlier, resolve issues more effectively and provide greater clarity while preserving the independence that underpins public trust. The lessons from this pilot will help shape future Lead Nuclear Regulator arrangements across the sector. Ultimately, this better coordination means identifying issues earlier, reducing duplication and creating a more predictable experience for those investing in the UK's nuclear future. That spirit of collaboration was evident last week when our Chief Executive, Philip Duffy, attended the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority's NRTF event, highlighting the shared commitment and cultural shift needed across the sector to deliver the reforms required to support the UK's nuclear ambitions. **Building momentum through culture** None of this works without the right culture. Regulatory reform requires openness to challenge and a willingness to work collectively to solve problems, and I believe this applies equally to regulators, government and industry. The Environment Agency is committed to playing its part in that cultural change by strengthening capability, supporting professional judgement and helping our people make timely, evidence-based decisions. Delivering the pace of reform the sector needs will demand deep nuclear expertise, and we are building it deliberately, including through secondments with organisations such as Great British Energy Nuclear and Sizewell C, which build capacity on both sides and strengthen the working relationships good regulation depends on. Nuclear investment can deliver cleaner energy, skilled jobs, economic growth and stronger communities, and our role is to help create the conditions for that investment to succeed sustainably. **Towards the future of nuclear regulation** One thing that stood out from my recent conversations at the IAEA conference in Vienna was how closely the UK's nuclear regulatory journey is being followed internationally. Around the world, regulators are wrestling with many of the same challenges: how to take a proportionate approach to risk and build the right culture needed to support innovation while maintaining high standards of protection. Those conversations reinforced my belief that regulation cannot stand still. As new technologies emerge and expectations evolve, regulators must be prepared to adapt while remaining firmly focused on safety and environmental protection. I look forward to continuing to drive this change with colleagues and partners across the sector.

Image courtesy of Sellafield Ltd _Jake Surman is the Environment Agency’s innovation lead in our nuclear strategy team. As the Heads of Innovation Forum meets for its annual meeting, Jake provides an update on our work_. New nuclear technologies, novel uses of radioactive substances and advancing digital innovations could help the UK produce cheaper low carbon energy, speed-up nuclear decommissioning and develop new medical treatments. They also raise important questions for people, places and the environment. That is why good regulation matters. It helps innovation move forward in a way that protects people and the environment, rather than treating safety and environmental protection as something to think about later. Our regulatory work takes us out to nuclear sites and organisations that use radioactive substances. And it’s there that our regulators are seeing and hearing about the challenges operators face. So, we’re working with them to resolve these challenges. And yes, we can do both – support innovation and protect people and the environment. We’re advocates of responsible innovation and will provide that early advice to industry to enable new ways of working – ensuring that environmental protection is at the heart of everything we do. **How are the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation working with the nuclear industry?** On 17 September the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) brought together 30 senior innovation leads from industry and regulation for the second nuclear industry Heads of Innovation Forum. The aim was simple: to share what has worked, learn what could be done better and agree where working together can make the biggest difference. We agreed the most important topics for our 2027/28 nuclear regulation and innovation work. This will help regulators and industry focus time and effort where they can have the greatest impact. These topics include: * simplification and more efficient processes; * innovation in radioactive waste management; * licensing and permitting aspects associated with new reactor technologies; * robotics and autonomous systems; * adoption of new technology (including artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, wireless instrumentation, advanced manufacturing, battery technologies); and * innovation in construction. Heads of Innovation Forum 17 September 2026, organised by the Environment Agency and the Office for Nuclear Regulation, hosted by Sizewell C. Image courtesy of Sizewell C Ltd. **What support can regulators offer?** We’ll use three practical ways of working to help understand and tackle barriers. These are: * expert panels; * innovation advice; and * regulatory sandboxing. These approaches let regulators and industry talk early about new ideas. They help everyone understand what may be possible, what the real challenges are and what evidence will be needed before decisions are made. Early advice can also help reduce the risk of costly changes or regulatory intervention later, by identifying issues while designs and plans are easier to adapt. These approaches do not replace formal decisions on permits or compliance. They sit alongside them. We separate our innovation work from regulatory decisions, so we can support new ideas without weakening our duty to protect people and the environment. **How do you use expert panels?** We’ve recently used expert panels to explore how we can regulate remote operations in nuclear facilities. An example of this is how robots used for radioactive waste management could be safely controlled from outside the boundary of a nuclear site to help speed up nuclear decommissioning. We’ll publish the findings soon. The ONR has led the organisation of another expert panel looking at how decisions can be made across groups of similar facilities or technologies, which we’re contributing to, and may help the fleet design and operation of nuclear reactors become a reality. This work is looking to learn from and build upon the replication case between Hinkley Point C and Sizewell C. Graphical representation of Sizewell C. Image courtesy of Sizewell C. **How can early innovation advice support new ideas?** Our innovation advice has supported work on novel medical radionuclides - radioactive substances used in medical diagnosis and treatment. The regulatory study we contributed to is helping inform investment in new treatments, including lead-212 generators that could support cutting edge cancer care. **How does safe testing reduce uncertainty?** Regulatory sandboxing lets regulators and industry test new ideas in a controlled way. With ONR, our sandboxes have explored artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in nuclear, including how new technologies could support radioactive waste management. Our work is helping to reduce uncertainty by bringing safety, security and environmental protection into the design and development stages. These projects are now shaping further work in the UK and overseas, including an international regulatory sandbox led through the Nuclear Energy Agency. **What’s next for our nuclear regulation and innovation work?****** As we move forwards, we want innovators, operators and regulators to ask those questions that matter most. Working together early, and acting on evidence, can help new technologies and ideas in nuclear move from promise to safe, sustainable progress. **Contact us:** **nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk****** **Follow our work on LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/regulating-radioactive-substances

Atlantic salmon are a remarkable and iconic species. Hatching in rivers across Northern Europe, they migrate thousands of miles across the North Atlantic to feed and grow before returning to those same rivers to spawn. Every year, the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales report on the state of our salmon stock levels, to help determine actions needed to protect this species. This annual assessment provides key insights into the health of salmon populations in England's principal salmon rivers, giving an important evidence base for understanding population trends, identifying rivers most at risk and helping target recovery activity where it can have the greatest impact. The latest assessment, based on data from 2025 shows that Atlantic salmon stocks remain at critically low levels, with 40 of England's 42 principal salmon rivers projected to be classified as either "at risk" or "probably at risk" in 2030. This means 95% of our salmon rivers are at risk of having a salmon population below the level required for a long term sustainable population. This is not an isolated trend. Most salmon stocks across other UK jurisdictions and the wider North Atlantic are facing similar patterns. **Why are salmon declining?** There is no single reason for the decline in salmon populations. This problem is not unique to England and is observable across the North Atlantic. Much of the cause lies at sea and beyond the control of any single country. Salmon face multiple pressures throughout their lives in rivers and in the sea, with freshwater habitats affected by pollution, migration barriers on rivers and water scarcity and marine habitats impacted by factors such as aquaculture and bycatch. Climate change is intensifying these impacts. The decline seen today is the result of many of these pressures interacting over time, rather than any single cause. ******Why are salmon important?** Atlantic salmon are one of England's most iconic fish species and an important indicator of environmental health. Because they depend on healthy rivers, estuaries and seas throughout their lives, the health of salmon populations can tell us a great deal about the condition of the wider environment. Efforts to improve conditions for salmon can also benefit many other species and help create healthier rivers for people and wildlife. **Is this just happening in England?** No. Salmon populations are facing challenges across much of the North Atlantic. Similar declines are being reported in other parts of the UK and internationally. This highlights the scale and complexity of the challenge facing the species. **What is being done to help salmon recover?** Action to improve conditions for salmon recovery includes improving river flows, restoring habitats, improving fish passage, tackling pollution, supporting catchment partnerships, fisheries enforcement activity and improving scientific understanding of the pressures affecting salmon populations. Recovery will require sustained action from government, regulators, water companies, environmental organisations, anglers, land managers and local communities. **Why is recovery taking so long?** Salmon have a complex lifecycle. Young salmon can spend up to three years in rivers before migrating to sea, where they may spend one or two years before returning to spawn. This means it can take several years before improvements in habitat, river health or migration routes are reflected in salmon population numbers. Recovery is therefore a long-term effort, requiring sustained action over many years. **Can salmon populations in England recover?** Yes. While they remain under significant pressure, recovery is possible when conditions improve. There are examples from across England where action to improve water quality, restore habitat and reconnect rivers has helped create opportunities for salmon populations to recover. **River Kent, Cumbria** The Environment Agency and partners, through the LIFE R4ever Kent project, have installed woody fish refuges, planted 2350 native riparian trees to increase shade and help moderate summer water temperatures and undertaken de-culverting, weir removal, and removal of embankments. Together, these actions are creating cooler, more sheltered habitat for salmon to thrive in. **River Ribble catchment, Lancashire** Through the £1.65 million Ribble Revival programme, the Ribble Rivers Trust has installed fish passes, de-culverted hidden watercourses and created new wetlands, opening up vital habitat and protecting spawning grounds across the catchment. **River Lemon, Devon** The Environment Agency, working with the Westcountry Rivers Trust and National Trust, has removed Chipley Mill Weir, reconnecting around 30 km of river and giving salmon renewed access to spawning grounds deep in Dartmoor National Park, a major boost for fish passage on the River Teign catchment. Recovery takes time, but practical action can help create the conditions salmon need to thrive. **What is the Environment Agency’s role in helping salmon recover?** The Environment Agency has a statutory duty to maintain, improve and develop salmon populations and fisheries in England. Salmon recovery requires coordinated action across multiple sectors by a range of organisations, including government, international partners, water companies, farmers, local authorities, anglers and fishing communities and NGOs. We are therefore active in working with partners to address the pressures affecting salmon in both freshwater and marine environments. One example of this partnership work is the Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership. **The Great Yorkshire Rivers partnership** This partnership is working to reconnect river habitats, improve fish passage and help create better conditions for migratory fish. It brings together the Environment Agency, Yorkshire Water, The Rivers Trust and 13 other organisations with a shared ambition to improve river connectivity and support the recovery of migratory fish across Yorkshire. By improving fish passage and reconnecting rivers, the partnership is helping create more resilient river networks and opening up access to habitat that has been unavailable to migratory fish for generations. The return of salmon to parts of the River Don catchment in recent years demonstrates the potential for recovery when barriers are removed and rivers are restored. EA is also an active member of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO). To deal with the impacts of low river flows, pollution and physical barriers that block access to spawning habitat Defra and the Environment Agency have launched a long-term recovery programme through the NASCO, uniting government, regulators, water companies and catchment partnerships to tackle these three pressures together. Running from 2026 to 2032, the programme is improving river flows in priority catchments, cracking down on pollution through increased inspections and wastewater oversight, and restoring habitats by removing barriers, improving fish passage and planting trees to keep rivers cool and resilient. The EA will restore 2,282 hectares of peatland and improve water flow below reservoirs, so rivers have enough water even during dry spells. It will also closely monitor water companies and other users to ensure they are not taking more water than rivers can sustain. Alongside this, the EA will carry out more inspections of farms and wastewater treatment works, and fund over 800 projects to cut pollution from wastewater. We will also clear or improve 105 barriers that block salmon from reaching their spawning grounds, restore natural river habitat at 252 sites, and plant 648 hectares of trees along riverbanks to keep the water cool and clean.

_Yasmin is an advisor in our Advanced Technologies and Fusion Strategy team. Here she highlights_ _the benefits of our new early engagement process and the Environment Agency’s role regulating the fusion industry._ The Environment Agency, working alongside the Health and Safety Executive, is the regulator of fusion research sites and will jointly regulate future commercial fusion facilities. We are working together to support the growth of the fusion industry while maintaining high standards of safety, security and environmental protection. **Why fusion matters?****** The fusion of light nuclei (hydrogen) is the reaction that powers the Sun and all other stars. A fusion machine utilises the fusion reaction between light nuclei, typically two different hydrogen isotopes - tritium and deuterium. In fusion, light nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, resulting in the release of energy, which is then used to generate electricity. To produce energy from fusion on Earth, deuterium and tritium are heated to very high temperatures, ten times hotter than the core of the sun. These high temperatures cause free electrons to separate from atoms and a gas of charged particles, known as plasma, is formed. When this happens, helium is produced, and a large amount of energy is released. Commercialising fusion has been difficult, partly due to the challenges associated with the high temperatures required for fusion to happen. Despite this, Fusion energy has the potential to play an important role in the UK's future energy mix as a low carbon and safe source of power. **What is the Environment Agency doing to enable commercial fusion?** The UK Government is investing £2.5 billion over five years to support the transition from research to commercial grid deployment. As research moves closer to commercial deployment, it is important that regulators ensure that growth happens in a way that protects people and the environment. One way we are doing this is to support potential developers by reducing uncertainty. We’ve just published guidance on early engagement, which is for fusion companies that plan to develop and build in the UK and would like to engage with regulators. It’s an optional process, but it can be useful for designers and prospective operators to engage with regulators early to: * understand the technology to be deployed * clarify regulatory expectations * set out development plans and timescales * develop effective ways of working We are already seeing the benefits of investment into fusion. Several technologies have applications in other industries, such as manufacturing medical isotopes, use in targeted cancer therapies, and the development of high-temperature superconducting materials. These are just some of the examples of emerging technologies to come from fusion research. **How are you building expertise and working with international regulators?** As fusion evolves, it’s essential that we evolve with it. We’re building international partnerships to ensure that regulators remain ready, informed, and aligned. It's important that UK regulators lead the way as the industry, global standards and regulations, develop. We’re working with the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to continue developing our expertise in fusion technologies to ensure the way we regulate remains proportionate and evidence based. We’ve also been building relationships and sharing our experience with regulators in the USA, Canada and Japan to work towards harmonisation where possible. We’re working closely with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), participating in international working groups and contributing to technical discussions and guidance documents to help shape and influence regulatory approaches worldwide. We visited the international project, ITER to understand how fusion is regulated in France. It was an opportunity to understand the scale of the project, as well as the regulatory lessons learned from an advanced project. Our Deputy Director Andy Mayall highlighted how proportionate regulation is one of the building blocks for unlocking the potential of this clean energy technology at the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's annual conference. **How our work is supporting sustainable growth and enabling innovation** Fusion technology is developing rapidly, catalysed by a combination of public and private investment around the world. STEP Fusion is the UK’s prototype fusion energy project being developed at West Burton, Nottinghamshire. We’re providing pre-application advice to de-risk the project, which will demonstrate a path to commercial viability. We’ll continue to work with partners across the industry to ensure that protection of people and the environment continue to be at the heart of this scientific frontier. **More information** Read our webpage. New early engagement guidance for fusion companies. Email your questions. fusion@environment-agency.gov.uk

The River Rib after restoration work was carried out. Some of England's most special rivers flow almost unnoticed through our countryside. Chalk streams are among the rarest freshwater habitats on Earth, with around 85% of the world's 280 chalk streams found in England. These rivers are renowned for their crystal-clear waters, rich wildlife and cultural heritage. Yet many have been heavily modified over generations, leaving them disconnected from their natural processes and struggling to support healthy ecosystems. This summer, we worked in partnership with the Wild Trout Trust, Affinity Water and local landowner Jeffrey Pearman to undertake a major restoration project on a one-kilometre stretch of the River Rib at Latchford, near Standon in Hertfordshire, to help return a section of this precious chalk stream to a more natural condition. **A river shaped by the past** Like many rivers across England, this stretch of the River Rib has been altered by decades of dredging, straightening and neighbouring agricultural land use. Over time, these changes deepened the river, removed important gravel habitats and disconnected the channel from its floodplain. Natural processes that once maintained a healthy and diverse river environment were lost, contributing to the ‘moderate’ ecological condition of the waterbody under the 2025 Water Framework Directive classification. The River Rib before it was restored **Thinking bigger** What made this project particularly exciting was the opportunity to think beyond the existing river channel. The landowner, Jeffrey Pearman, was willing to dedicate additional land to the project, allowing us to create a more ambitious restoration than would otherwise have been possible. Rather than simply modifying the existing channel, the team was able to create approximately 300 metres of ‘re-wiggled’ river channel and reconnect the river to its wider floodplain. This approach gives the river more space to move through the landscape naturally, helping it respond to both high and low flow conditions while creating valuable habitat for wildlife. The approach reflects the principles of the Chalk Stream Restoration Strategy, which promotes restoring natural river processes and reconnecting rivers with their floodplains to improve the long-term health and resilience of chalk stream catchments. Rob Mungovan, Project Manager at the Wild Trout Trust, said: _"Chalk streams are incredibly special habitats, and projects like this are about giving rivers the space and natural features they need to function properly. Jeff's ambition as a landowner allowed us to push what was possible here. Rather than being constrained by the existing channel, we were able to create something much more ambitious for the River Rib and the wildlife that depends on it."_ **Restoring natural processes** The restoration works were delivered by Aquamaintain and overseen by the Wild Trout Trust, with support from the Environment Agency and Affinity Water. The project included: * Creation of approximately 300 metres of new channel. * Restoration of one kilometre of chalk stream habitat. * Reconnection of the river to its floodplain. * Creation of wetland scrapes, a backwater and shallow ponds. * Bank regrading and habitat enhancement works. * Installation of natural wood features to diversify flows and habitats. * Introduction of significant quantities of gravel to improve spawning habitat and restore characteristic chalk stream features. An unexpected but beneficial aspect of the project was the discovery of substantial quantities of gravel during excavation works. Some of this material was processed and reused on site, helping recreate the riverbed conditions required by native chalk stream species. **Benefits for wildlife** Healthy chalk streams support an extraordinary range of plants and animals. The restoration will improve habitat for fish species including brown trout, while also benefiting aquatic plants, invertebrates and a wide variety of wetland wildlife. The creation of new wetland habitats and improved floodplain connectivity is expected to provide new opportunities for species such as water voles, otters, wading birds and insects. By restoring natural river processes, we are not only improving conditions within the channel itself but helping to recover ecological connections across the wider landscape. The new route of the River Rib. **Partnership in action** Projects of this scale simply cannot happen without strong partnerships. The Environment Agency provided funding through the Chalk Partnership Fund and Water Environment Improvement Fund. The Wild Trout Trust led on project development and delivery, while Affinity Water provided support and funding through its ambitious River Restoration programme as part of its wider environmental commitments to protect chalk stream catchments, enhance biodiversity and improve water quality, helping to leave the environment in a measurably improved state. The success of the project also relied on the enthusiasm and commitment of the landowner, who not only made his land available for the restoration works but also provided practical support to Aquamaintain throughout project delivery. The project demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations bring together their expertise, resources and shared commitment to improving the environment. George Horne, Senior River Restoration Project Manager at Affinity Water, said: _"This project shows what can be achieved when landowners, environmental organisations and water companies bring their different expertise together around a shared ambition for our chalk streams. Creating more space for the River Rib and restoring the features it would naturally have helps create a healthier environment for wildlife and forms part of the wider work needed to protect these precious habitats for the future."_ **Looking ahead** While construction has now been completed, the story of the River Rib restoration is only just beginning. Extensive seeding and tree planting is planned, which will help transform the currently exposed riverbanks, with wetter weather helping vegetation to establish and stabilise the banks alongside ongoing monitoring to understand how the river responds over time. The site will also provide valuable lessons for future chalk stream restoration projects across Hertfordshire and beyond. Our ambition is that the River Rib becomes an example of how working with natural processes can help restore England's globally rare chalk streams, improve resilience to climate change and create thriving environments for people and wildlife. In doing so, the project supports the Environment Agency's EA2030 ambitions for healthy air, land and water supporting nature's recovery, and for creating a nation that is more resilient to climate change. By giving the river room to breathe once again, we are helping to secure a healthier future for this special ecosystem.

For most anglers, a Fisheries Enforcement Officer is the person who checks their fishing licence. But for the Environment Agency, the work of our enforcement officers helps protect fisheries, wildlife and the future of angling. From routine patrols and licence checks to investigations and protecting vulnerable fish species, Fisheries Enforcement Officer Richard takes us behind the scenes of a day in his life. **Planning the patrol** Patrols often begin long before we reach the water. We are guided by intelligence, local knowledge and valuable reports from anglers, members of the public and partner organisations. Before we head out on our patrol, we check our intelligence system to see if there's any relevant information for that area including previous offending, hotspot locations, recorded incidents and information from other enforcement partners like the police. We then tailor our patrols to that intelligence. We're out every day on some sort of water, no matter the weather. **Licence checks on the bank** When we get to any location, whether it be a river or a lake, we have to record the time we arrive in our pocket notebook; it's a legal document and can be used in court to provide evidence. As we carry out rod licence checks, we show our authorisation as we go. Hopefully they'll all be happy and enjoying themselves and catching fish legally! The rod licence money that anglers pay goes back into fishing in a number of different ways. For example, fishery owners can have Environment Agency specialists out to assist and advise them on potential issues before they become bigger issues, we also invest a lot of that income back into fishing and angling through schemes like the Fisheries Improvement Programme, which supports environmental and habitat improvements as well as making fisheries more accessible and safer and helping to bring new anglers into the sport – especially youngsters. **Following up reports** Licence checks are just one way fisheries enforcement officers help protect fisheries and tackle illegal fishing. Illegal fishing can come in many forms. Reports from members of the public help us investigate incidents, build intelligence and respond to threats to fisheries and wildlife. One issue is traps and other illegal instruments. We've seen all kinds over the years, from children's fishing nets all the way up to seine nets, cast nets and gill nets, the latter of which tangle fish up so they cannot get out of them. While we are out, we keep an eye out for set lines. These are lines attached to the bank and a stake with bait on a hook. These can be set quite sneakily to avoid us finding them. Plastic bottles and tin cans are often used to identify where traps have been laid. These lines are then left for a few hours before someone comes back to them. They can catch any fish species and wildlife other than fish and are particularly damaging to the environment and other kinds of wildlife. We remove these illegal traps and once retrieved, equipment may be recorded, photographed and retained as evidence to help officers investigate incidents and take action where offences have occurred. We can also stake-out locations known to be hotspots, with the aim of catching offenders red handed. **Protecting fisheries and wildlife** This is only one side of fisheries enforcement. No two days are ever quite the same, and across England our officers are tackling very different challenges. From routine patrols to specialist operations, the work may look different, but the aim is the same. We gather intelligence and monitor activity across our waters - teams may also use specialist equipment, including drones and night-time surveillance tools, to gather evidence and support investigations. Some specialist operations focus on protecting migratory fish such as Atlantic salmon and sea trout - our officers cover every watercourse and even up to 6 nautical miles out into the sea to carry out vessel checks for migratory fish species. When fish populations are already under pressure, tackling illegal fishing can help protect some of our most vulnerable fish species. **Find out more** Most people will only ever see a small part of fisheries enforcement. Behind every patrol are intelligence-led operations, incident responses and specialist work helping to protect fisheries, wildlife and angling for future generations. If you see illegal fishing activities on any inland water report in England, contact the Environment Agency’s Incident Hotline immediately on 0800 80 70 60 (available 24/7) or use the official online Report an Environmental Problem tool. Watch our day in the life of a Fisheries Enforcement Officer video and find out how to buy a fishing licence.

_By Dr Rob Bradburne, Environment Agency Chief Scientist_ When incidents happen, good decisions depend on good science. That is certainly true of the ongoing recovery along North East England's coast, where a maritime collision released small pellets of plastic, known as nurdles, and other debris into the Tyne estuary and along surrounding beaches. The spill has taken a significant toll on local communities, with residents facing the distress of seeing treasured beaches polluted and spending many hours helping to protect and clean up their coastline. Our operational teams and partners are working to assess and manage pollution on the ground. Building on the excellent early advice provided in the immediate aftermath, a committee of scientists from across and beyond the Defra group, called the Scientific and Technical Advice Committee, is providing evidence that underpins every aspect of the ongoing recovery operation. As chair of the committee, I’ve seen just how important scientific collaboration is during uncertain and rapidly developing situations. From modelling the movement and risks of nurdles to advising which clean-up approaches could be most effective, the team draws on a wide range of expertise. Together we’re considering the best available science, advising those managing the recovery so that they can make choices to protect nature, wildlife and coastal communities. ###### **What are nurdles?** Nurdles are small pellets of plastic used as the raw material for manufacturing plastic products. Following a maritime incident, nurdles and associated debris entered the estuary and marine environment and began washing up along the coastline. While the pellets may appear small and relatively harmless, they could present significant environmental harm if they remain in the environment in large quantities. ###### **Monitoring their movement** One of the committee’s biggest challenges is understanding where the nurdles have gone and where they may move next. We’re bringing together modelling, monitoring and expert judgement to build the clearest possible picture. Already, scientists spotted where nurdles travelled upstream, prompting industry funding to explore the estuary’s dynamics in greater detail. This evidence helps responders consider where nurdles may be present in the environment and which habitats or locations may need closer attention as the incident develops. ###### **Understanding environmental risk** One of the most important roles of science during an incident is identifying where risks are greatest. While evidence on the environmental impacts of nurdles is still developing, the committee is working at pace to point out potential risks as the situation unfolds. Scientists are highlighting the potential vulnerability of protected coastal habitats including saltmarsh, mudflats, seagrass and vegetated shingle. These habitats support internationally important wildlife and can be particularly difficult to clean once plastic material becomes embedded within them. We’re also considering the implications for seabirds, marine mammals, fisheries and other coastal species. Beyond the immediate impacts of pollution, the committee is advising on when to end the clean-up effort. Digging up large areas of beach could damage the habitats that we’re trying to protect. Our advice helps responders balance the benefits of recovery against the risk of further environmental harm. ###### **Turning evidence into action** During the ongoing recovery, the scientific committee is providing evidence-based recommendations on issues such as monitoring the material in the marine environment, protecting particularly sensitive habitats and prioritising clean-up efforts. This includes advising the Recovery Coordination Group on how to define the limits of the recovery process so they can move confidently into planning the next phase of recovery. I’ve seen a huge amount of work happening behind the scenes, with many experts offering their time and knowledge to tackle different aspects of the challenge. Communicated clearly, this information plays a central role in supporting operational responders and decision makers. ###### **Bringing together expertise** No single organisation holds all the scientific knowledge and skills needed during a complex environmental incident like this. That is why the science committee draws on expertise from across government, environmental regulators, public health specialists and marine scientists. I am working closely with colleagues on the committee from local groups, government organisations including Natural England, Cefas, the Marine Management Organisation, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and UKHSA, as well as academic experts from the universities of Newcastle, Portsmouth and Lancaster, bringing together a broad range of scientific disciplines. This collaborative approach ensures that decisions are informed by the best available evidence, whether the issue is wildlife conservation, fisheries, public health, or marine pollution. It also means that advice provided to the local authorities and others leading the response is consistent, actionable and reliable. ###### **Why this matters** Day to day, scientists from the Environment Agency and partner organisations work together on a wide range of environmental challenges, from water quality and flood risk to emerging pollutants and incident response. By combining evidence, expert judgement and collaboration across organisations, we can better understand environmental risks, make informed decisions and help protect people and the environment. Science does not necessarily remove uncertainty, but it gives us the best possible foundation for making balanced and informed decisions when it matters most. I am grateful to everyone helping to make this a reality in the North East.

Two years ago, the Environment Agency created the Chief Regulator's Group to provide strategic leadership for regulation. We’re helping create a more consistent, effective and proportionate regulatory system and strengthening the connection between strategy, policy and delivery. Since then, my team and I have been driving that transformation. Meaningful change can take time. But we have made good strides forward as we move from improving individual parts of regulation towards creating a more joined-up and consistent regulatory system. **Improving transparency and access** For the first time, the public can read Compliance Assessment Report (CAR) forms without raising an information request. We've now shared thousands of water quality, waste, installations, and intensive pig and poultry forms on the Public Register Online. At the same time, improved training and assurance have raised the quality of information available to the public on permit holder performance. We're building on this momentum, with more sectors to follow. **Faster, smarter permitting** Permitting is at the centre of our improvement work, and the Accelerated Permitting Transformation Programme is already delivering results. Queue times are at a three-year low, and the backlog has been reduced by over three-quarters. Enhanced validation has also cut determination times for complex applications by up to 100 days. We’ve also introduced a Priority Tracked Service for complex multi-permit and Nationally Significant Infrastructure (NSIP) sites, currently supporting over 60 developments in housing, energy, infrastructure, mining and technology with strong customer feedback. Our Regulatory Services Programme is powering our digital transformation by delivering smarter online journeys for our customers. Several types of permit applications are now fully digital, including Paper, Cardboard, and Plastic (PCP), Healthcare Waste (HCW), Waste Mattresses (WM), and Materials Recycling Facilities (MRF). Alongside this, an expansion of GOV.UK Pay for permit applications under £5,000 has saved a significant amount of processing time. **Driving forward sector improvements** We support responsible businesses to thrive sustainably while acting firmly when standards fall short. Two priority areas have been water quality and waste crime. In March, we published our 10-point plan on waste crime to strengthen and accelerate action in this growing area of concern. It focuses on earlier intervention and stronger enforcement against poor performers, while tightening controls and accountability across the waste supply chain. For the first time, our water regulation teams completed more than 10,000 inspections of water company assets in a single year, identifying permit breaches in 22% of cases. This has built a clear, evidence-based picture of non-compliance which will shape our future regulation. By equipping our regulatory teams with better tools, we are enabling them to make stronger use of data and insights. One example is a new digital system that will make it easier for our officers to record, track and manage noncompliance, improving follow up on actions from previous inspections. This Regulatory Compliance Service (RCS) is already in use across our Water Quality inspections and will soon roll out to other sectors including waste. Across all sectors, we are also developing new regulation plans that focus on the real-world outcomes we want our regulation to achieve. We are striving to provide clear, proportionate and predictable regulation. That means reducing uncertainty and enabling investment by stepping back where risks are low, taking an evidence-based approach where they’re higher, and acting firmly when needed. For example, in waste, we are setting new minimum inspection frequencies for different types of sites, focusing our effort on poor performers and high‑risk sites whilst reducing routine regulatory activity at consistently well performing sites. **Strengthening our regulatory profession** Whilst we are accelerating our use of digital, data and AI, I firmly believe that people remain at the heart of good regulation. That’s why we are strengthening regulation across the Environment Agency by establishing a Regulation Profession and investing in the learning, development and infrastructure needed to support them. Through accredited training and new pathways with industry and academia, we are building a confident, skilled workforce supported by cutting-edge digital tools. In the waste sector for example, we are using AI and machine learning to strengthen compliance analytics, detect waste related risks and optimise assessments. **New approaches to drive progress** New approaches are key to driving progress. We’ve recently taken up the Lead Environmental Regulator position on four pilot projects – East West Rail, Lighthouse Green Fuels, Sizewell C and the Trelavour Lithium Project. This is providing developers with clearer, earlier, and more coordinated environmental guidance across environmental regulators, while maintaining robust protections. We are also supporting innovation in areas like decarbonisation. Notable regulatory milestones include issuing the first UK refinery carbon capture and storage (CCS) permit and securing the VPI Immingham carbon capture permit - both enabling significant industrial decarbonisation. Through our commitment to proportionate regulation and delivering environmental outcomes, we’re taking firm action where risks are high while exploring opportunities to step back where risks are low. The Earned Autonomy programme is one example. We're working with trusted partners such as the Rivers Trust, National Trust and Forestry Commission to deliver nature recovery projects faster and more efficiently, while developing new standard rule permits, increasing exemptions, and working towards a Nature Recovery Regulatory Position Statement. A recent Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) for low-risk abstraction for nature recovery actions and fish or eel passage builds on an earlier low-risk impounding works RPS, allowing a more proportionate, risk-based approach that removes unnecessary barriers to habitat restoration, nature recovery and natural flood management projects. **Looking ahead** Our ambition is a regulatory system that is digitally enabled, risk-driven, transparent and easier to navigate. By combining better data, stronger regulatory capability and smarter technology, we can target our efforts where they achieve the greatest environmental outcomes while providing greater certainty for those we regulate. While our transformation is by no means complete, action is underway. We have a clear understanding of what needs to be done. Independent reviews by important bodies such as the Office for Environmental Protection and the National Audit Office, alongside recommendations from Dan Corry and John Fingleton, continue to act as catalysts for change. Lasting change cannot be delivered by the Environment Agency alone. It depends on Government setting new policies and reforming legislation and on those we regulate working with us towards a shared ambition of better environmental outcomes. There is far more happening than I can cover in one blog. In the coming months, I will publish my next Chief Regulator report, providing a detailed overview of progress against our EA2030 strategy and the vision I outlined in my previous report. Please follow the Chief Regulator’s LinkedIn page for further updates.

Regulating the environmental performance of the water industry is a core Environment Agency function. Since 2023 we have been transforming the way we regulate the water industry. Backed by significant investment we are delivering increased scrutiny and oversight through a specialised workforce dedicated to each water and sewerage company. We recognise that further change is needed and that improvements need to be delivered at pace. We are working with government and partners to support thriving places, communities and sustainable growth while protecting and improving the environment. **A sector under scrutiny** It's our job to help protect homes and habitats, including England's water environment. We know how important rivers, lakes and coastal waters are to people and that they rightly want to see faster improvement and greater investment to better protect them. That’s why transparency and accountability are more important than ever - so that people can see and understand what is happening in the places they live, work and spend time. The Environment Agency is committed to transparency. Making our data accessible to the public is key to this. For example, we have already worked with Ofwat to develop an interactive map that shows where the water industry investment is being made at a local level to protect and improve the environment: Price Review 2024 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) App. **Introducing Clear Waters** Clear Waters is a further extension of this work – a collaborative project to make information about water company environmental investment more transparent, accessible and useful. The Clear Waters group brings together regulators, environmental groups, the water sector, local authority representatives and consumer groups. The partnership is developing a shared approach to showing what environmental improvements are planned, where they are being delivered and how progress can be tracked. The aim is to help customers and stakeholders understand not just how much is being invested, but what that investment will deliver for rivers, lakes, groundwater and coastal waters in places they care about. **Addressing the transparency gap** By making environmental commitments visible and measurable, Clear Waters will support greater scrutiny of progress on delivery and help to rebuild public trust. Clear Waters is already making progress: by working directly with customers and users of water-related information, the project has produced user profiles that are now being used to shape how water industry investment information is presented. This will make it easier for people to find , understand and use information about environmental investment and outcomes. Any lessons learned from this will then help inform how information on future investment is shared and accessed, ensuring it is more relevant, accessible and meaningful to the people who use it. Clear Waters is already helping to bring together people with different perspectives on water and environmental data. At Northumbrian Water's Innovation Festival in July, representatives from regulators, water companies, environmental organisations, academia and technology organisations explored how information can be made easier to access, understand and use. Discussions focused on making environmental data more meaningful for different audiences, improving transparency around environmental outcomes and exploring how citizen science can complement existing monitoring. **Shaping the future of water regulation** Clear Waters will also play a key role in the transition to a new single regulator as set out in the Government's White Paper in January 2026. Lessons learned through our work will feed into thinking for future investment programmes, helping to shape a stronger, more accountable system for the future. As well as the Clear Waters project, the Environment Agency is also working with Ofwat, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, Natural England and Natural Resources Wales on a joint programme of improvements to how we deliver water regulation and delivering meaningful change now, rather than waiting for policy or legislative change. Insights from Clear Waters will help shape future approaches to transparency and public engagement, supporting preparations for future investment programmes and helping ensure investment decisions are understood by the people and communities they are intended to benefit. **What’s next for Clear Waters?** The partnership will continue to develop and test new ways to help people better understand environmental improvements and track progress over time. Priorities include improving access to information, exploring how different sources of environmental data can be used together, and ensuring information is presented in ways that meet the needs of different audiences. **Get involved** The Clear Waters partnership is planning activity over the autumn. If you'd like to be involved, please contact clearwaters@ofwat.gov.uk.

Water is essential for drinking, farming, industry, wildlife and recreation. Managing our rivers, lakes, estuaries, wetlands and groundwater properly ensures the needs of society, the economy and nature can be met over the long term. 2026 has seen the driest July in 190 years, with just 5 per cent of expected rainfall. This has placed significant demands on abstraction, particularly for irrigation, and agricultural reservoir stocks have declined rapidly, especially where abstractors rely heavily on storage. If you own, operate or are planning to build a reservoir, our new planning guides explain the requirements. Sustainable water abstraction is essential to ensure that river flows and groundwater levels support ecology and natural resilience. We work with abstractors to balance the needs of the public, industry, farmers and the environment. **What are abstraction licences?** Abstraction is the process of taking water from a river, lake or groundwater source for uses such as irrigation, industry, recreation or drinking water. The Environment Agency grants abstraction licences to protect the environment and the rights of existing lawful water users. Those with abstraction licences are allowed to take water in line with the**** conditions of their licence. Abstracting more than 20 cubic metres a day generally requires a licence, though some activities, such as firefighting, are exempt. If you take water from the same source at multiple points, the combined total must be 20 cubic metres or less a day to qualify for exemption. If you don't hold a licence, you may be able to agree a trade or share with an existing licence holder, permanently or temporarily, provided all licence conditions can still be met. Where an abstraction is moved to a different abstraction point, the buyer of the abstraction right would normally have to apply for their own licence or change their existing licence if they have one. Not all activities require an abstraction licence to take place with some being exempt. Abstraction licence holders can manage their accounts online to see a summary of their licence and past returns. **How can the Environment Agency restrict abstraction?** There are two main types of restrictions that the Environment Agency can implement on abstractors at times of pressure: hands-off flow conditions and Section 57 restrictions. _Hands-off flow conditions_ on licences reduce or prevent abstraction to protect other abstractors and the environment. Many of these restrictions have come into effect in 2026 due to very low river flows. Licence holders who have hands-off flow condition on their licences will be notified when the condition comes into force, with as much advance notice as possible. _Section 57_ of the Water Resources Act 1991 allows formal notices to be issued to holders of spray irrigation abstraction licences to protect river flows during drought **throughout a catchment.** Spray irrigation abstraction licence holders can help make the most of the water which their licence authorises to take by: * Monitoring water consumption, ensuring water measurement devices are installed to accurately measure the quantities of water abstracted; * Preventing and dealing with leaks; * Maintaining equipment, making sure it’s properly set up; and * Irrigation scheduling – ensuring the correct amount of water is applied at the right time. Environment Agency updated prospects for irrigation report for summer 2026 can be found on gov.uk. We work closely with farmers, the National Farmers Union (NFU), Water Abstraction Groups (WAGs) and Internal Drainage Boards (IDBs) to give as much advanced notice as possible before cessation conditions are needed on abstraction licences to protect the environment. We continue to carry out irrigation patrols and other compliance checks to ensure all abstractors are complying with their licence conditions to help protect water availability. If abstractors believe that they may not be able to comply with their abstraction licence or have issues accessing water supplies, they should contact their local area office for further advice as soon as possible. **What support is available for those with abstraction licences who may have restrictions in place?** General guidance is available for abstraction licence holders affected by prolonged dry weather and drought, alongside short and long-term options to improve water access and resilience. For short term support: * Speak to us about options outside your licence conditions. * Consider water rights trading between licence holders - Trade water abstraction rights - GOV.UK. **Managing abstraction for the long term** In the longer term, there are a number of schemes for abstractors that can help generate water resilience listed below. * We’re encouraging the establishment of Water Abstractor Groups (WAGs) to work together to understand and jointly plan for their future water needs. Defra provided funding to Regional Water Resources Groups to support these activities and updated guidance to help farmers setup Water Abstractor Groups. * We recently launched the latest round of Local Resource Option (LRO) Screening Studies, helping groups of farmers identify practical solutions for long-term water resilience. The 2026/27 application window is now closed and projects selected, but further projects may be offered on a first-come-first-served basis if funds remain. Contact WRAgriculture@environment-agency.gov.uk for details. * Defra are also supporting farmers specifically through their schemes: the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and their Accelerating Development of Practices and Technologies (ADOPT) fund provide farmer-led, smaller-scale grants, including projects trialling new technologies for conserving water on farm. * For more information on these schemes and how to manage your land and farm in dry weather, including information on looking after livestock, managing farm reservoirs, storing flammable materials and creating firebreaks please visit the Defra Farming Blog. **Reporting incidents** If you are out and about, please report incidents to our hotline - **0800 80 70 60**. It's free and open 24 hours a day. Incidents you should report include: * fish in distress; * collapsed or badly damaged riverbanks and beds; * unusual drops in river flow; and * people taking water illegally from rivers, streams, canals or underground sources such as wells. More information on other incidents and how to report can be found on gov.uk. For any further questions you can call our National Customer Contact Centre on **03708 506 506**.

Environment Agency water sampling Each time we publish the latest assessment of England's waters through the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) Regulation classification, a familiar headline emerges: only a minority of rivers, lakes and estuaries achieve "good" overall status. It's a figure that invites a simple reading: that progress is “too slow”, that investment “hasn't delivered”, that the water environment is stagnating or declining. Those concerns are understandable, but they are not the full story. The 2025 classifications give us a detailed picture of England's water environment and are a powerful indicator of where action is needed most. The headline result is that 14.3% of waterbodies are classified as at Good Ecological Status. To understand what that means, you need to dive below the headlines and understand how the system works. **One out, all out** The classification framework is deliberately demanding. The "one out, all out" approach we take means the overall status of a water body is determined by its lowest-scoring element. Every single element must pass for a water body to be classified as good. That ensures we do not overlook problems that matter to ecosystems - but it also means that progress can be real and measurable without being fully reflected in the headline figure. Around a third of water bodies that failed to achieve good status this time did so because of just one element. So these headline results provide a foundation for action, but they do not tell the whole story. **Beyond the headline figures** Beneath the headline, some parts of the picture are more encouraging. The underlying data shows 82% of individual ecological indicators are now classed as Good or High status, demonstrating some underlying aspects of the health of many waterways are positive, even where overall classifications haven't shifted. Ammonia - historically one of the most significant pressures on freshwater life - is at 92.9% good status, pointing to real, sustained progress in some areas. There are, however, known pressures that cannot be resolved quickly. All surface waters continue to fail in chemical status, which reflects the presence of persistent legacy substances such as brominated flame retardants, mercury and PFOS that will take decades to deplete. **Comparing to previous assessments** Some will remember that the figure reported in 2019 was 16.3%. It is tempting to read the difference as a decline, but the two datasets are not directly comparable. Assessment methods, monitoring and available evidence have all advanced. We have automated the assessment of Heavily Modified Water Bodies, updated baselines and removed historic "expert judgement" classifications, which increases transparency but reduces comparability with earlier cycles. None of this reflects a weakening of the system, but a more rigorous and consistent one, meaning a water body can be classified at a lower status today not because its condition has worsened, but because we now understand it better. Read more about these changes on our Water Data Explorer | Engage Environment Agency **Better science, harder headlines** More work is needed to determine the causes of the results, but climate change, historic underinvestment, and improved monitoring are all likely factors. Stronger monitoring reveals issues that were previously hidden, giving us a firmer basis for decision-making, even where the picture looks tougher in the short term. This is not a challenge England faces alone. Last year the European Environment Agency reported that picture across Europe remains very challenging, with a number of areas reporting below 10% Good Ecological Status by the latest 2021 statistics. **What happens next** So, what happens next? The classifications are a rigorous dataset that will drive evidence-led action through River Basin Management Plans (to be published over the winter), where communities, farmers and water companies work together to make improvements. These plans are majority funded by water companies, and the latest funding round saw £22.1 billion allocated to water environment improvements by 2030. The government's Water White Paper and the Environment Agency's EA2030 strategy reinforces this direction, with a stronger emphasis on data, partnerships and environmental outcomes. That investment is already being put to work. It is funding the upgrade of 2,350 storm overflows, which is expected to reduce sewage spills by an estimated 85,000 a year. It is reducing phosphorus inputs to the environment at more than 800 sewage treatment works. And it is reducing the amount of water abstracted from rivers and groundwater, retaining an estimated 60 million litres of water in the environment every day. These are not abstract commitments: they are specific, measurable interventions that will show up in future classifications. This is not just theory. The River Roch in Greater Manchester shows what classification-driven action looks like in practice: phosphate levels, which can harm river wildlife, have improved from poor in 2019 to good in 2025. Investigation traced earlier deterioration downstream to water company assets, leading to a catchment permit covering a whole group of sewage treatment works upstream of the Manchester Ship Canal, several of which were required to remove phosphate from their discharge for the first time. The result has been cleaner water, with the Ship Canal's deterioration reversed and further improvements in connected rivers, an example of how targeted action based on solid evidence delivers real results. But we should be honest: investment takes time, and the environment takes longer to recover. We know the public want things to move faster, and progress won't always be visible in a single headline metric. That is how the 2025 classifications should be understood: not as a verdict on success or failure, but as a tool for improvement, showing us where the problems are, helping us target effort, and giving us the evidence to hold ourselves and others to account. **Turning evidence into action** Improving our waters depends on all of us working together - regulators, policymakers, water companies, land managers, communities and citizen scientists, at both local and national levels. We now have a clearer path than ever before. These results should be seen as a starting point, not an end point. They give a clearer shared evidence base for understanding the condition of England’s waters, where pressures are greatest and where action can have most impact. Improving the water environment will be a long-term community journey, requiring the Environment Agency, government, water companies, farmers, businesses, local partners and the public to each play their part. We will now working hard at local level to understand the complex causes behind why each waterbody gets a certain classification, so that we can plan investment and interventions over the next planning cycles. We will keep refining how, where and what we monitor so that we can develop an ever more rigorous understanding of what interventions have the greatest impact. Better evidence is only useful if matched by the ability to act. We have significantly increased our capacity to tackle water pollution, with more staff, better data and stronger powers. Last year we completed over 10,000 inspections of water company assets, and we plan to increase farm inspections to 6,000 a year over the next three years. Since 2015 we have concluded more than 70 prosecutions against water and sewerage companies, securing fines of over £158 million, and the Water (Special Measures) Act means we are better equipped than ever to drive the improvements the public rightly expect. The task ahead is to follow the evidence together and turn shared evidence into real, lasting improvement for England's water environment. * Visit our Engagement HQ pages to explore the classifications, access the data, and learn about the science, methods and context behind the results.

Waste crime isn't fly-tipping. It's a billion-pound criminal enterprise in which organised crime groups exploit the waste industry to launder money, evade tax, undercut legitimate businesses, and pollute communities and the environment, while presenting themselves as lawful operators. These criminals evolve constantly. So do we. We build new tools, use smarter technology, and work with a growing network of partners to stop them — before, during, and after the crime. That's the work of the Joint Unit for Waste Crime (JUWC). This is what we achieved in 2025–26. ## **A year in numbers** Our 14 full-time crime officers didn't just process cases. They went after criminal networks. * Led 23 operations, supported a further 38 * Attended 59 days of action across the country * Delivered 111 disruptions * Supported 13 arrests by partners * Conducted 17 interviews under caution * Seized 8 vehicles Each number represents a network disrupted, a community protected, a legitimate business given a fairer chance. ## **A family empire dismantled** For over a decade, one family ran what looked like a waste business. It wasn't. It was an unlawful landfill, scrap metal operation, and waste transfer station — a hostile, deeply entrenched site that had defied the Environment Agency for years. We didn't try to fine our way out of it. We set out to make the criminal business model impossible to survive. Working with police, HMRC, the Insolvency Service, local councils, and DVSA, we built a case that went far beyond waste offences. The result: 23 heavy goods vehicles seized and destroyed, the family removed from their home on site, assets recovered — including land transferred between family members to avoid accountability. A £50,000 Bounce Back Loan fraudulently obtained is being recovered. Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings continue. A problem that persisted for more than a decade is gone. That's exactly what the JUWC was built to do. ## **On the road** A significant part of our work happens in real time, on roadsides across the country. In Kent, a multi-agency day of action stopped 14 vehicles, led to one arrest, and placed multiple drivers under investigation. On the Scottish borders, our officers joined Highways England, SEPA, and Police Scotland to check waste-carrying vehicles crossing in both directions. In Lancashire, working alongside the National Crime Agency, our officers joined the arrest of a man connected to multiple sites of large-scale illegal dumping. His vehicle was seized. A prosecution is pending. These operations matter. They're visible. They disrupt criminal routines. And they send a clear message: the roads are not safe ground for waste criminals. ## **Disruption is as powerful as prosecution** A prosecution can take years. While courts grind through the process, organised crime groups keep operating and keep profiting. That's why disruption is central to everything we do. Operation 'B' targeted an organised crime group running illegal waste sites and large-scale dumping. We deregistered their waste carrier licences, seized vehicles, and worked with police to pursue individuals for other offences. The group's ability to function collapsed. They are now formally recorded as dismantled. Operation 'C' focused on one individual running permitted waste sites across England while engaged in fraud and money laundering. We secured an account freezing order for £600,000, suspended permits, and removed waste exemptions across multiple sites. That individual is no longer active in the waste industry. Financial pressure, regulatory action, and genuine partnership - applied consistently -can achieve things that criminal prosecution alone cannot. ## **A growing threat. A growing response.** Organised crime groups are becoming harder to spot. They increasingly mimic legitimate waste businesses, making detection harder and harm greater. Demand to target the highest-risk groups has grown every year. We've grown to meet it. This year, we expanded the JUWC from 10 to 18 full-time staff, with the full team in post from March 2026. Two officers qualified as drone pilots - giving us the ability to detect illegal sites and gather evidence from the air, reaching places that used to stay hidden. In September, we gave evidence to the House of Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee's inquiry into serious and organised waste crime. The Committee's findings are now being considered at the highest levels of government. ## **What this year proves** Waste crime is serious crime. It causes serious harm. It deserves a serious response. The environment is worth protecting. Communities bearing the burden of illegal dumping deserve better. And legitimate businesses being undercut by criminals deserve a level playing field. That's what the JUWC is here for. Read our end of year report: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-unit-for-waste-crime-juwc-end-of-year-report-2025-to-2026 _If you have information about illegal activity in the waste sector, report it anonymously to Crimestoppers. In England or Scotland, contact the Environment Agency or SEPA incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60 - available 24 hours a day._

In the middle of another hot, dry summer we can see our climate is changing. When we head into winter this translates into more rain, more runoff, and more pressure on slurry storage. Getting ahead now can help protect your land, your business and the waterways your community depends on. Slurry managed well is a resource. Slurry mismanaged is a pollution risk - to rivers, soils, and the communities downstream. The choices made now, in summer, shape what happens to those waterways come January. At the Environment Agency we’re encouraging farmers to look at slurry storage requirements before the rain arrives. Now is the time to start planning for next winter. With pressure on fuel and fertiliser prices, having plenty of spare capacity is not only vital for compliance, but also saves a valuable resource for when it’s most needed. From an environmental point of view, spreading slurry during the winter months creates a significant pollution risk from run-off, damages soils and wastes valuable nutrients. Spreading because your store is full, rather than because there is a soil or crop need, is also non-compliant with environmental regulations. **How much slurry storage capacity do I need?** The Silage, Slurry and Fuel Oil Regulations set out that all farms must have at least 4 months slurry storage. If you’re in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, that requirement is higher. Check what applies to your livestock type. Farming Rules for Water also say you should not apply more than the soil and crop actually need, and you should not create a pollution risk. We recommend a minimum of 6 months slurry storage to ensure meeting the requirements of Farming Rules for Water. **What can I do to prepare my slurry storage for winter?** 1. **Yard maintenance** Guttering that leaks or drainage that isn’t functioning properly can lead to an increase in slurry volume as clean rainwater mixes with manure in yards. Fixing any leaky pipes and gutters and making sure drains are free and running properly can make a difference. You may find these changes alone mean that your existing storage meets your requirements. 2. **Check slurry storage requirements** Use the AHDB slurry wizard to check how much slurry storage you need – this will show you if have enough storage to be compliant and to see you through the winter. It can also help with planning for the future to assess the levels of capacity you may need for farm expansion, or to give you a buffer for contingency. If your calculations show that you may not have enough storage, look at contingencies and get a plan in place to increase your storage capacity. **3. Plan for all eventualities** Whether you think you have enough storage capacity or not, making contingency plans could help you through if something unexpected happens. Options to consider: * Temporary storage at the place of production or use * Off farm storage – can you find somewhere that slurry could be stored if your storage is full, or you have problems with infrastructure or machinery? * Processing at an AD plant or other effluent treatment facility – is there one nearby you could take slurry to if needed? * Discussing safe options for spreading with us – contact the Environment Agency to look at where on your farm might be safe for spreading in an emergency if your storage is full or about to overtop. Read more about the guidance around storing**slurry and planning a new store including** notifying the Environment Agency at least 14 days before you build new storage for slurry or make substantial changes to an existing store. Farmers can access Defra funding to improve slurry storage and management through the Capital Grant offer, expected to open 30 July. The Grant will fund items like automatic slurry scrapers, self-supporting covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and floating covers for slurry and anaerobic digestate stores and lagoons. Read the full guidance for Capital Grants here - Applicant's guide: Capital Grants 2026 - GOV.UK Being ready for winter can help your business all year round. Only applying organic fertiliser during the growing season means that crops and grass take up more of the nutrients, increasing yields. Keeping machinery off wet soils not only protects the soil, but saves unnecessary fuel, wear and tear and man hours. See how a Cornish dairy farmer tackles slurry storage challenges and transforms his farm to meet regulations. **Get in touch** If you have questions about preparing for winter, we can help – contact our national customer contact centre and ask to be put in contact with your local agriculture team. **Environment Agency National Customer Contact Centre** Tel. 03708 506 506 Email: enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk Other resources: **Farming Advice Service:** https://www.farmingadviceservice.org.uk/technical-article/environment-agency-winter-ready-cab-card **Catchment Sensitive Farming:** Catchment Sensitive Farming: advice for farmers and land managers - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

**How we investigate illegal waste sites** Waste crime is serious crime. It harms communities, undercuts legitimate waste businesses and can damage the environment. The Environment Agency investigates illegal waste activity in England. Our role is to assess and manage environmental risks, identify those responsible, and take enforcement action where there’s evidence of offending. Illegal waste sites vary in size, scale and risk. Some may contain materials that could pollute land, water or air. That’s why we take a risk-based approach to every site. **How we assess risk** When we’re made aware of a suspected illegal waste site, we consider: * what type of waste may be present * whether the waste could pollute land, water or air * whether pollution could spread through soil, surface water, groundwater or air * whether there are nearby communities, rivers, protected habitats or wildlife * whether further investigation or monitoring is needed Environmental monitoring is not carried out at every site. We use it where there’s a credible risk and where monitoring would help us understand that risk or inform the action we take. At Kidlington illegal waste site, for example, initial investigations showed potential contamination. We carried out water testing upstream and downstream of the site to help understand whether leachate or run-off could affect the local water environment. **What investigations can involve** Our work at illegal waste sites can include environmental, criminal and regulatory investigations. This may involve: * assessing the type and amount of waste present * taking samples of soil, water or leachate where appropriate * assessing fire risk * identifying potentially harmful materials, such as asbestos or contaminated waste * assessing possible impacts on rivers, protected habitats and wildlife * gathering evidence to support enforcement action In practice, major investigations often run on two tracks: assessing environmental harm and building a case against those responsible. **Taking action against waste crime** Where we have evidence that an offence has been committed, we take action. This may include: * prosecution * civil sanctions (an alternative to criminal prosecution) * enforcement notices * confiscation of criminal proceeds under Proceeds of Crime Act * recovery of remediation costs, where appropriate We work with partners including the police, local authorities, fire and rescue services and the UK Health Security Agency. **Human health concerns** We understand that communities living near illegal waste sites may be worried about possible exposure to contaminants. The Environment Agency’s primary role is to regulate and investigate environmental risks. Our work can also help protect people by reducing the risk of exposure to harmful substances in the environment. Where we identify information that may be relevant to human health, we share it with the UK Health Security Agency or local public health authorities. They’re responsible for assessing public health risks and providing health advice to communities. If you’re unwell or worried about your health, contact your GP. In an emergency, call 999 or go to A&E. **Recent reporting about chemicals at waste sites** Recent media reports have referred to chemicals found at several illegal waste sites. The testing was reported to be carried out on or near waste sites, not where people live. The sampling and analytical methods used provide an indication of the chemicals that might be present. Different testing would be needed to confirm exactly what substances are present, their concentrations and whether they pose a risk. Waste sites commonly contain chemicals from household or commercial waste, such as cleaning products, old cosmetics or paints. Previous uses of the site may also impact what chemicals are found there. The presence of chemicals at a waste site does not automatically mean there’s a risk to nearby communities. We’re reviewing the findings with partners to decide whether any further assessment is needed. **What you should do** Do not enter or approach an illegal waste site. These sites may contain unstable waste, sharp objects, harmful materials, dust, fumes or contaminated water. If you believe pollution or illegal waste activity is happening, call the Environment Agency’s 24-hour incident hotline on: 0800 80 70 60 You can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers.

_At the Flood & Coast conference 2026, Environment Agency Chief Executive Philip Duffy spoke about climate challenges and what they mean for those working in flooding, the new approach to delivering flood defences and how we need to work together to build systems and capability to deliver on the ambitions the country has for flood defence in the years ahead. In this blog post, he focuses on the main points of the speech._ I've been at the Environment Agency for three years, and during that time the UK, in common with many places around the world, has experienced some decidedly unusual weather. In January 2024, we were hit by Storm Henk. The Avon, the Thames, the Trent, and the Severn were all exceeding record levels in the same week. In September 2024, the East Midlands had 300% of its long-term rainfall. In the northwest of England, the total rainfall on New Year's Day 2025 was 90 millimetres, recorded at Denton. That's the kind of rainfall that would not embarrass a tropical island, and to experience that here in England's northwest in January tells you just how fast the scale of the challenge is changing. On that day, the Mersey was an incredible 3.2 metres above its record ever level at Brinksway. It isn't just the rain that's breaking records month after month. We've just recorded the highest ever temperatures consecutively in May in England at 35.1 degrees centigrade. All of that only really illustrates what the scientists are saying unequivocally about the state of our nation's climate: our weather is becoming more volatile, it's becoming more extreme. And we can see a pattern occurring — wetter winters, hotter and drier summers, and when the rain comes, heavier and more destructive rainfall. That volatility brings real-world consequences: rising flood risk in communities, disruption to infrastructure and to agriculture, and growing pressure on the systems we rely upon every day. And perhaps the hardest thing for people like me trying to communicate these risks is that the changes we are already seeing are only the start, with a great deal more to come. **Assessing future flood risk** Last year was a milestone for the Environment Agency in that we published our latest national flood risk assessment — NAFRA 2. It enabled us to use more up-to-date climate science to quantify flood risk down to two square metres right across England. It shows that 6.3 million houses in England are already at risk of flooding, and that will rise to 8 million by the middle of the century. The biggest element of that risk is not rivers, and it is not the coast. It is sudden surface water flooding caused by summer downpours. And those risks apply in places where people do not know that they're at risk and where they don't necessarily know what to do should that risk materialise. It's not just about homes. 59% of our grade 1 agricultural land across England is at risk of flooding. Around half our rail network is at flood risk and a third of our road network, and the economic consequences for us of not taking that seriously could be extremely severe in the years ahead. **How are flood defences changing?** So that shift in risk, that move to a different form of climate risk and a different form of flood risk, means we need different responses as a country. Last year, following the spending review, the Treasury committed £7.9 billion to a 10-year pipeline of capital investment to maintain existing defences and invest in new defences, nature-based solutions, and property-level flood resilience. Our aim in that investment is to protect a further 840,000 homes by 2035–36. Since 2015, 455,000 homes across England have had improved flood defences, thanks to the work of not just the EA, but many other authorities, and 62,000 of those improvements were in the last two years. Much of the money committed will go on new defences, and we have major schemes in preparation, notably along the Thames, which has the largest undefended floodplain in Europe, but also the completion of existing in-flight schemes like the Bridgewater Barrier. The new funding policy from Defra makes our approach much broader than just new defences. It allows us to do greater reconditioning and replacement of existing defences which are life-expired. **Warning and informing** We do sadly have to recognise that flooding will remain a real problem for many communities in the years ahead. That is why warning, informing, and resilience are just as important a part of our response as building defences. Last year, the Environment Agency issued 3,000 flood alerts and 900 of the more severe flood warnings. We have 1.54 million people signed up to our new, completely free, flood warning system. And we're spending £2.9 million in the coming year to complete improvements in our modelling to make sure we're keeping up with changes in climate and rainfall. But to warn is only half the issue. Communities need clear, actionable information, practical support, and confidence, if they're to recover from flooding rapidly. Property Flood Resilience is one tool we can use to help this, helping individuals and communities adapt their properties to recover more quickly. In Devon, the EA now has new forecasting systems which give earlier warning of surface water flooding. **Water as a single system** The more I spend time thinking about flooding and water quality and pollution, the more convinced I've become that you've got to think about water as a single system, particularly at the catchment level. Key to that will be a shift towards more regional systems planning, thinking about how water planning, catchment management, and investment come together at a regional tier to deliver fantastic outcomes. We are not passive observers of what's going on either in our climate or our communities. We have the power and influence to make that difference — and if we can work together, from the voluntary sector, from the supply chain, from the public authorities, from the regulators, and from our colleagues in government, we really can make an enormous difference.

Following Rolls-Royce SMR’s announcement about the new Pioneer Works facility in Derby, Andy Pynn, our strategic lead for nuclear new build, reflects on a visit he made to the company’s EXPERI facility at the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. Andy joined Environment Agency staff, including Chair Alan Lovell and board member Stewart Davies, to find out about the new approach to building nuclear power stations. **How is the Environment Agency changing how it assesses new nuclear reactors?** As reactor designs, and the way nuclear power stations are constructed, evolve we are also changing how we assess reactor designs. Last month we set out actions we are taking to support two-year reactor design assessments, provide flexible options, and how we’ll use reviews from international regulators to inform our decisions. * * * **What happens at Rolls-Royce SMR’s Module Development Facility?** Manufacturing modules in a factory and assembling at a site isn’t new – we’ve seen it used in other industries such as oil, gas and renewables….so why not nuclear power stations? Rolls-Royce SMR’s ‘EXPERI’ facility, known as ‘Factory 2050’, was set up to manufacture and test prototype modules for the RR-SMR. In the future, most of the plant, systems and components will be put together in steel framed modules in factories – before being transported to a site and assembled into a power station. This is often referred to as modularisation. The facility in Sheffield (and in the future, Derby) enables Rolls Royce SMR engineers to develop and test the approach to manufacturing the modules. * * * **What did the Environment Agency learn on the visit?** Our first stop was the board room where Mark Salisbury, Rolls-Royce SMR’s Head of Regulatory Affairs, and a team of engineers gave us a detailed overview of the design including a virtual reality model tour of the reactor island. Some takeaways – we were told that: * 121 fuel assemblies will provide power for around 1 million people for 18 months; * It’s a boron free design and, compared to similar reactors, there will be less tritium produced and less water discharged which will reduce its environmental impact; * They are incorporating the option for indirect cooling which, if used, means the reactor would use less water and could potentially be located inland; * Innovation in welding - Traditionally done by welders, Rolls Royce SMR wants to do more in the factory using mechanical automated welds. Fewer welds and more pipe bending = reduced hazard and leaks. We saw time lapse videos of Rolls Royce SMR engineers testing how they would assemble components inside the modules. This is how it would be done in a future factory. Modularisation is not a new concept to the nuclear industry, but this is the first time we will see this level of factory construction for a nuclear power station in the UK. We were then treated to a virtual reality tour, walking around an SMR site - including looking around the inside of the containment building. Having a fully immersive VR ‘3D map’ of the facility helps engineers to visualise how the components can be installed during construction and how access for maintenance and inspection can be planned. We were told how their approach to modularisation and construction will significantly reduce the time it takes to build a power station, and we saw how the separate module blocks will be fixed together at the site – you can see this in the company's animations. Next stop was the factory floor where we saw the steel modules. We learned more about how they will be constructed in the factory and transported to sites. You can see the module (blue structure) in the photo. Community engagement will be important to this project – and all new forms of technology. We’re challenging the company (and GBE-N) to help explain how this design is different to the ‘gigawatt’ power stations, and in turn we’ll need to explain how our regulation at the sites will change. Our Chair, Alan Lovell said: “We had a most interesting and informative morning learning about how Rolls-Royce SMR will build SMRs efficiently and in particular how they are working on a mock-up of a module so that they can do more in the factory and deliver more cheaply and much quicker than if they were building all on site. It’s a really exciting development; this is as good as anything in the world, and it can be expected to make a significant contribution to our low carbon energy production in due course”. **What stage is the Environment Agency at with the RR-SMR design assessment?** Generic Design Assessment (GDA) enables nuclear scientists and regulators at the Environment Agency and Office for Nuclear Regulation to assess new nuclear power station designs at an early stage of the regulatory process. During our assessment of the RR-SMR, we are scrutinising the company’s designs and identifying potential design or technical issues. During regular meetings we explore issues and ask questions with the Rolls-Royce SMR engineering team and resolve them. Our scrutiny and assessment is helping the company avoid potentially costly and time-consuming changes when the reactors are being built. Rolls-Royce SMR is in Step 3 of GDA - the detailed assessment stage. The Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales are focussing on the environment case, and this step also includes a public and stakeholder consultation, launching in February 2027. **When will the first RR-SMR be constructed?** In April Rolls-Royce SMR signed a contract with Great British Energy-Nuclear (GBE-N) to deliver the UK’s first SMRs on Anglesey, north Wales as the Gwyndod Power Station. Rolls-Royce SMR has also signed a contract with Czech to deliver an SMR programme and Videberg Kraft has selected the company as its partner to deliver SMRs in Sweden. **Where can I find more information?** Contact us: nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk Read about GDA Learn about the RR-SMR and comment on the design: Home | Rolls-Royce SMR - Generic Design Assessment

_A commuter walking through flooding in London._ In July 2021, thousands of Londoners watched floodwater enter their homes, businesses and communities with little warning, turning an ordinary summer day into an unforgettable one. Over two separate days, extreme rainfall overwhelmed parts of the capital, causing widespread flash flooding across 24 boroughs. Homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and transport networks were affected. More than 2,000 properties flooded, with 1,755 calls made to the London Fire Brigade over four hours. Five years on, we’d like to reflect on what happened and consider what London has learnt since. ### **Surface water flooding remains a significant risk** The July 2021 floods were caused by surface water flooding, often referred to as flash flooding. This happens when intense rain falls faster than the ground and drainage systems can absorb it. Unlike river flooding, it can occur almost anywhere and is not limited to areas near rivers or the coast. One of the July 2021 storms produced around five times more water than parts of London's sewer network could accommodate. Surface water flooding remains one of London's most significant climate risks. Around 320,000 properties across the capital are currently at high risk of surface water flooding, including approximately 56,000 basement homes. As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events, the likelihood of similar flooding events is expected to grow. London's urban environment can make managing rainfall particularly challenging. Roads, pavements and buildings leave less space for water to soak naturally into the ground, increasing pressure on drainage systems during storms. _A London taxi, bus and cyclist travelling through flood water on Tower Bridge._ ### **Flood risk does not stop at borough boundaries** One of the clearest lessons from July 2021 was that flood risk is a shared challenge. Rain falling in one borough can affect neighbouring communities, transport networks and infrastructure. Surface water flooding does not follow political boundaries and can affect multiple areas simultaneously. No single organisation is responsible for all aspects of flood risk management. Therefore, building London's resilience depends on key organisations and communities working together towards a common goal. ### **How London has responded** The July 2021 floods and reviews that followed prompted a more coordinated approach to managing flood risk. Flood Ready London was established to bring together the organisations responsible for different aspects of flood risk management: the Environment Agency, London Councils, London Fire Brigade, the Mayor of London, Thames Water and Transport for London. _Together, the partnership is increasing London’s resilience to flash flooding through collective action that benefits people, places and the environment._ A major milestone was reached in 2025 with the publication of London's first Surface Water Strategy. The Strategy provides a shared long-term framework for improving resilience across the capital and sets out how partners can better understand risk, coordinate investment and deliver change. _Flood Ready London logo._ ### **From strategy to delivery** The focus is now firmly on turning plans into action. Flood Ready London partners have committed £3.725 million to improving resilience across the capital. Ten Surface Water Catchment Partnerships are being established across Greater London to bring together local authorities, infrastructure providers, communities and flood risk management organisations. These partnerships are based on natural catchments – the areas where rainfall collects and flows. This reflects a simple reality: _Water follows geography, not administrative boundaries._ Central London and the Lee Valley are the first catchments to receive investment. Funding will support 20 sustainable drainage projects, with further investment and schemes to follow. These projects include measures such as rain gardens, permeable paving, green roofs and other nature-based solutions that help slow, store and manage rainfall before it enters drainage networks. Alongside reducing flood risk, they can improve public spaces, support biodiversity and enhance water quality. Many boroughs are already delivering this type of work, with Flood Ready London helping to connect and support activity. _A Sustainable Drainage System (SuDS) feature on a residential road._ ### **Everyone has a role to play** Alongside organisations improving resilience, it’s important for us all to understand our own risk. Being flood ready is not only about major infrastructure or city-wide planning. Local knowledge and community action are also essential. Residents, businesses, community groups and local volunteers can help by sharing trusted advice, looking out for neighbours, reporting local flooding issues and helping people understand what to do when heavy rain is forecast. Flood Action Groups are one way communities can get involved. They bring people together to share local knowledge, represent community concerns and work with flood risk organisations on practical ways to improve resilience. Simple actions can make a difference. Residents and businesses can: * check Met Office weather warnings and forecasts for heavy rain or thunderstorms * check their long-term flood risk * prepare a flood kit * know how to turn off gas, electricity and water supplies, if safe to do so * move important documents, valuables and sentimental items to higher ground if possible * check your household building or contents insurance covers flooding; if you don’t have any, FloodRe may be able to help * save key contacts, including insurers, landlords, housing associations and local councils * avoid flood water and never drive or walk through it * check drains outside your home and on your street are clear; report street drainage issues to your council, FixMyStreet or Love Clean Streets * call 999 if there is a risk to life, serious illness or injury, or urgent help is needed to evacuate * look out for neighbours who may need extra support, where it is safe to do so ### **Looking ahead** _Pedestrians walking along a main road, next to a SuDS feature._ Five years on from the July 2021 floods, London is remembering what happened, reflecting on the lessons learned and recognising the progress that has been made. There is still more to do. As climate change continues to affect the city, improving resilience will require sustained investment and collaboration. By working together across boroughs, organisations and communities, we can help protect the people, places and services that make London thrive.

Open water swimming can be an invigorating experience, but it carries real risks. Before you head out, it's worth knowing a little about how water quality is monitored in England and where that monitoring does and doesn't apply. In this blog, we explain where you can find information to help you decide where and when to swim, and why not all swimming spots are equal when it comes to water quality. **What does it mean to swim at a designated bathing water?** A designated bathing water is an officially recognised swimming spot - a beach, lake or stretch of river - that is regularly tested and monitored for bacteria that can affect human health as set out in the Bathing Water Regulations. In England, there are currently 464 of these sites, sampled between May and the end of September so that information is publicly available to help you make informed decisions about where and when to swim. Importantly, designation does not mean water quality will always be good. What it does provide is access to reliable, up-to-date information about that water - a significant difference from swimming somewhere that isn’t monitored for the types of bacteria that can impact human health. **What are the risks of swimming at non-designated bathing waters?** As open water swimming grows in popularity, many people enjoy swimming in lakes, rivers and coastal spots that are not designated bathing waters. These places are not monitored for bathing water purposes and therefore carry a greater level of uncertainty and risk. Non-designated waters are not routinely monitored for bathing water quality, and there is no equivalent of Swimfo to tell you what the water quality is likely to be. Water quality can change quickly. Rainfall, river flows, tides and wind can all affect conditions. Pollution can come from a range of sources, including agriculture, urban drains, roads and highways and sewage discharges, all which can carry harmful bacteria. After rainfall, there can be a greater likelihood of pollution entering rivers, while water levels and flows may also be higher and faster, increasing potential risks for swimmers. Most rivers are managed for a range of purposes, including protecting wildlife and supporting water use, rather than specifically meeting bathing water standards. The bacteria that can affect human health are not damaging to fish or other water organisms, which is why we don’t routinely monitor for them away from designated bathing waters. Six of the 13 new bathing waters designated in 2026 are rivers, reflecting public demand for cleaner, accessible river swimming. These are now being monitored and assessed against bathing water standards. Monitoring helps identify sources of faecal pollution and inform action where improvements are needed. Wherever you choose, there are simple things you can do to reduce the risk of getting sick if swimming in open waters, such as not swimming after recent rainfall. There is more advice on this if you search ‘Swim Healthy’ on Gov.uk. **Dangers to swimmers around weirs, sluices and locks** The Environment Agency manages flood-risk, water-resource and navigation assets across England, including weirs, sluices, locks and pumping stations. While these structures play an important role in managing our waterways, they can pose a serious danger to swimmers. **Weirs** create powerful recirculating currents, known as _stoppers_ , which can pull people underwater and trap them against the structure. **Sluices** can open and close automatically without warning, releasing sudden surges of water that can quickly overwhelm even strong swimmers. **Locks and other navigation assets** can also be hazardous. Water levels can change quickly as lock gates open and close, creating strong flows and turbulence. Boats may enter and leave unexpectedly, increasing the risk of collision or injury for anyone in the water. If you are thinking of cooling off in the water this summer, stay well clear of these structures and always follow safety signage. **What’s the benefit of checking bathing water quality at designated bathing water sites?** The Environment Agency's free Swimfo service gives you the latest information on all 464 designated bathing waters in England, including annual water quality classifications, pollution risk forecasts and monitoring results. You can search by name or location to see whether a site is rated Excellent, Good, Sufficient or Poor, and check for any predictions of reduced water quality on the day you plan to visit. From mid-May to the end of September, the Environment Agency tests designated bathing waters over 7,000 times, looking for bacteria that indicate faecal (poo) contamination. It doesn’t indicate whether that contamination comes from human sources, such as sewage, or animals such as birds, dogs or farm livestock. Swimfo also includes a pollution risk forecasting service, which flags when factors like rainfall, wind and high tides may temporarily affect water quality or we identify a pollution incident. In 2025, 93% of designated bathing waters met the minimum standard of Sufficient or above — a strong picture overall, however conditions can change, so checking before you go is always worthwhile. **What the Environment Agency is doing** The Environment Agency monitors and classifies bathing waters, investigates pollution incidents and regulates a range of activities that affect water quality. Every storm overflow on the sewage network in England now has a monitor fitted, giving the most complete national picture of water company discharges to date. Where evidence of illegal discharges is found, the Environment Agency can take enforcement action including criminal prosecution. We know though that there are many sources of pollution. Improving water quality requires action from water companies, farmers, local authorities and others. Where bathing waters are classified as Poor, we work with partners to understand the causes and identify opportunities for improvement. If you spot suspected pollution, report it to us. Reports help us investigate incidents and target our response where necessary. **Before you swim** Before you swim, check Swimfo for the latest information on designated bathing water. Remember that non-designated waters are not routinely monitored for bathing water quality, and that recent rainfall can increase risk at many locations. For detailed safety advice, visit Swim Healthy on GOV.UK and the RNLI's open water swimming safety guidance._._

_Photograph: Pyemoor Dam bidirectional water control structure. Photo credit: Ian Moodie._ We are now receiving applications for the Lowland Peat Water Implementation Grant as announced in New funding boost to protect England's iconic peatlands - GOV.UK. Up to £36 million is available to install infrastructure that will allow applicants to better manage water for lowland peat areas. Follow this link for more details and how to Apply for a lowland peat water implementation grant - GOV.UK. The grant is open for applications until 18 September 2026 ## What is the purpose of this grant? Lowland peatlands are one of England's most important landscapes. They lock away carbon, support wildlife, and are some of our most productive farmland. But decades of drainage have left them drained and degraded - drying out, releasing carbon, and putting ecosystems at risk. The Implementation Grant scheme will fund the delivery of infrastructure needed to retain higher water levels safely within England’s lowland landscapes for the preservation of our peat soils. Its primary aim is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lowland peat, whilst also delivering wider benefits such as more sustainable land use, improved flood and drought resilience, and enhanced biodiversity. The scheme will support projects that take a collaborative, strategic approach to water management across lowland peatland catchments. ## Why is the grant needed? Raising water tables in lowland peat is one of the most effective actions we can take for nature recovery and climate resilience. It takes local knowledge, local partnerships, and solutions that reflect the real needs and opportunities of each catchment. Around 80% of England’s peatlands are in a degraded state, contributing roughly to 2% of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions, an amount comparable to emissions from around 3.5 million homes. Sadly, drained lowland peat is responsible for 88% of these emissions. However, if we can adopt more sustainable water table management, we can help slow soil degradation, cut emissions, and maintain productive, sustainable agriculture. Previous grant schemes such as the Lowland Agricultural Peat Water Discovery Pilot (LAPWDP) and the Lowland Agricultural Peat Small Infrastructure Pilot (LAPSIP) have highlighted the opportunities for new and adapted water management infrastructure to safely raise water tables in lowland peat soils, which will in turn enable more sustainable land management activities to be undertaken. ## Who is managing the grant? The grant is being led by the Environment Agency with support from the Association of Drainage Authorities (ADA) and the Defra Lowland Peat Team. We have worked closely together to get the implementation grant up and running. ## What does a successful project look like? We want projects that will: * Install infrastructure to enable the rewetting of lowland peat, raising water tables in lowland peat soils safely * Work with local stakeholders to create effective collaborations * Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from lowland peat, reducing peat deterioration * Contribute to wider benefits such as aiding a transition towards a mosaic of more sustainable land uses, improved biodiversity, and resilience to flooding and drought ## Who can apply? If you are a: • charity or not for profit organisation • public body (including local authorities and internal drainage boards) • land manager • business or commercial enterprise based in England within areas of lowland peat, then you are eligible! Collaboration with stakeholders is encouraged, as we want to ensure that the project is appropriate for the area. ## How do I apply? If you think this is the grant for you, please follow this link for more details and to request an application pack - Apply for a lowland peat water implementation grant - GOV.UK Applications must be received by 23:59 by 18 September 2026. We expect to award grants in December 2026 and grant projects must complete by 31 March 2030. We plan to run a second application window in Summer 2028 with projects also needing to be complete by 31 March 2030. Further details will follow for this. ## How much money can I apply for? You can apply for a grant between £100,000 and £2,000,000. Grants can cover up to 100% of eligible project costs. ## Fund community The Lowland Peat Water Grants team runs a SharePoint website that contains more information about the scheme. EA Lowland Peat Water Discovery and Implementation Grants - Home It’s also where you will find answers to common questions and where we host our key documents such as the grant handbook. Please note that you may need to request access when first attempting to use this resource. ## Want to find out more? Join our webinar! We are hosting an application webinar on 15 July that will provide more information to help aid your application. We will be answering questions you may have, so if you are interested in attending, please register using this link MS Teams Registration Link If you can’t make the webinar, or you have questions not answered by the guidance, you can still contact the team using this email address: peatwatergrants@environment-agency.gov.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!

By Cameron Preskey I didn’t come from a regulatory or environmental background, but I’ve always had a deep-rooted passion for nature. Growing up, I spent a lot of time gardening with my parents and grandparents, learning the value of patience, care, and respect for the natural world. As my career progressed, I became increasingly aware of the pressures being placed on our environment and it felt like the right time to make a change. Joining the Environment Agency was the natural next step. It offered the opportunity to align my career with my personal values and to contribute to something that really matters. **Stepping into a new career** Moving into the Water Industry Regulation (WIR) team was a significant shift for me. It was a completely new environment, but from the outset, the support I received made all the difference. Over the past two years, I’ve been fortunate to work alongside colleagues who are not only highly knowledgeable but also incredibly passionate about what they do. Whether within my immediate team or across the wider Water Industry Regulation and Land & Water teams, there has always been a willingness to help, share knowledge, and support my development. This collaborative environment has allowed me to bring my own skills and leadership style into the role, while also learning and adapting to the Environment Agency’s ways of working, systems, and technologies. As a result, I’ve been able to shape my Team Leader role into something that feels both authentic and effective. **Leading and learning** Joining a specialist regulatory team as a non-technical leader inevitably came with its challenges. But I'm privileged to lead a team of highly skilled Environment Officers, all of whom bring extensive technical expertise and a deep commitment to their work. My priority is to create an environment where the team feels safe, supported, and confident. That means building trust, encouraging collaboration, and ensuring everyone has the tools and backing they need to succeed. My day-to-day responsibilities are varied, but often include supporting officers in their professional development and accompanying them during on-site compliance inspections - giving me valuable insights into the challenges they face and helping me ensure health and safety standards are consistently maintained. A key learning for me is that effective regulation in this sector is as much about building understanding as it is about enforcement. Supporting my team to know the companies they regulate, understand their assets and pressures, and use that knowledge to drive real outcomes is central to how we work. In 2025/26 alone, more than 10,000 inspections were completed nationally, uncovering over 3,000 permit condition breaches and resulting in more than 3,000 individual demands for improvement, from repairing sewage works to upgrading infrastructure. That combination of scrutiny and constructive challenge is already shifting water company behaviour, and it's what makes this work so critical. **Reflecting on the journey so far** Looking back over the past two years, there are three areas I feel particularly proud of. The first is being part of building a new team from the ground up. Bringing individuals together, creating an inclusive environment, and seeing that team begin to deliver results and drive change has been incredibly rewarding. The second is my role as portfolio lead for Communications and Engagement within our region. As a team, we’ve worked hard to improve how we communicate both internally and externally. By sharing more about the work we do, how we prepare, and the impact of our regulatory activity, we’re helping to raise awareness and demonstrate the positive difference this work makes to the environment and communities. The third is our shared sense of purpose. Each and every member of the team in Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire is committed to protecting the environment, and that common goal fosters strong, supportive relationships. There’s mutual respect, openness, and a genuine willingness to help one another within our immediate team and with colleagues across the wider region too. **Making a real difference** With water companies and water quality increasingly in the public spotlight, the work we do has never been more important. Our team plays a key role in protecting both the environment and communities. From incident response to routine regulatory activity, we work to ensure that water companies meet their obligations and that environmental standards are upheld. That means engaging with companies to understand their challenges, identify issues early, and work towards improvements - as well as analysing data, carrying out on-site compliance inspections, and taking firm enforcement action where necessary. But there is more to do, and the scale of our work continues to grow. In 2025/26 alone, more than 10,000 on-site compliance inspections were delivered nationally. The findings from these inspections help to provide a more detailed picture of the challenges we face across water company assets, enabling more targeted and effective regulation into the future. Two years in, I’m still genuinely enjoying the role. No two days are the same, and that variety continues to challenge and motivate me. For me, this career change has been about finding purpose - and in helping to protect and enhance the environment we all rely on, I’ve found exactly that.

Prussian carp (_Carassius gibelio_), an invasive non-native species, examined at the National Fisheries Laboratory This week marks Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) Week, a chance to shine a light on the quiet, often unseen work protecting our waters. Not every threat to our fisheries is obvious. Sometimes it begins with a report of unexplained fish deaths, fish behaving abnormally, or a fish that doesn’t look like a native species. It might be an angler sending in a photo of something unusual. And sometimes there are no visible signs at all, just traces left behind in the water. This is where the Environment Agency’s National Fisheries Laboratory comes in. Based in Brampton, Cambridgeshire, the lab is a key part of the frontline defence for protecting England’s freshwater fisheries. The work is varied, and no two days look the same. One moment the team is investigating a fish mortality, the next identifying a parasite or a fish suspected to be a non-native species. It is detailed, highly specialised work that underpins how fisheries are protected across the country. **Why INNS Week matters** Invasive non-native species can change a fishery quickly, and sometimes permanently. Some species outcompete native fish like roach and perch. Others introduce diseases that our fish have never encountered before. In some cases, non-native species carry pathogens that can spread across whole catchments if fish movements are not carefully managed. Even a single introduction can be enough to cause long-term, irreversible damage. Once established, non-native species and diseases are extremely difficult to remove, and sometimes impossible. This is why prevention is so important, and why early detection plays such a critical role. **What happens behind the scenes** The National Fisheries Laboratory is the Environment Agency’s specialist centre for fish health, disease and non-native fish species. Funded by fishing licence income, it provides a direct and practical benefit to anglers and fisheries across England. The team is ready to respond when something goes wrong, investigating fish deaths, diagnosing disease and helping fisheries recover. But just as importantly, much of its work happens behind the scenes to reduce risks before they develop. This includes carrying out health checks before fish are stocked or moved, identifying non-native species, and providing expert advice to fisheries managers. It is also where regulation becomes practical action, supporting decisions that prevent fish being moved from waters known to carry serious pathogens and helping to reduce the risk of those diseases spreading further. **Spotting risks earlier** Some of the most important work happens before anyone is aware there is a problem. The laboratory uses a range of scientific techniques to better understand what is happening beneath the surface. This includes environmental DNA analysis, which can detect species from tiny traces left behind in the water. A single sample can reveal which fish are present, even when they cannot be seen. This type of work is helping to build a clearer picture of fish populations and the pressures they face, supporting projects that improve our understanding of fisheries across England. Alongside this, the team carries out detailed investigations into fish health, as well as ageing and growth analysis of our fish populations. These insights give fisheries the evidence they need to make informed decisions, helping to make their waters more resilient and safeguard them in the future. **The work anglers make possible** All of this work is made possible by fishing licence income. It means fishery owners can report an issue and receive expert support, and that anglers who spot something unusual can get answers. It also means emerging threats, from new diseases to invasive species, can be identified and managed early before they cause wider harm. Often, the outcome is reassurance. What may initially look concerning can turn out to be a natural condition or a common parasite. But when something more serious is identified, early action can make a significant difference in limiting the impact. **If something doesn’t look right** Early reporting plays an important role in protecting fisheries. If you see dead or distressed fish, or spot an unusual species, report it: * **Incident hotline (24/7):** 0800 80 70 60 * **Fish health:** fish.health@environment-agency.gov.uk * **Non-native species:** non-natives@environment-agency.gov.uk Find out more about how fishing licence income supports this work and protects fisheries across England on GOV.UK.

**Situation** The Environment Agency has issued a warning letter to the River Roding Trust following an investigation into unpermitted work carried out at Alders Brook in Ilford. This follows previous warnings about damage that was done to a flood defence at Hertford Road, in Barking. The Environment Agency concluded that warning letters were a proportionate response on this occasion, recognising the trust's genuine commitment to improving the local environment. **Core Position** Across England, we work closely with and strongly support communities taking action to improve their local environment. We recognise the value of working together for homes and habits. However, we would not be fulfilling our statutory role if such work were to proceed without the appropriate environmental permit in place. These permits are not a tick-box exercise — they exist to ensure activities are properly assessed and do not cause unintended harm to flood risk, drainage, or the wider environment. **Alders Brook, Ilford** To be clear, no decision has been made to prosecute the River Roding Trust. The Environment Agency has issued a warning to the trust following an investigation into unpermitted work carried out at Alders Brook in Ilford. The investigation found that work at Alders Brook in March this year damaged wildlife habitats, and led to the spread of invasive species Japanese knotweed, due to a failure to follow biosecurity protocols. We are committed to exploring how future work can ensure all risks are managed and that it delivers better outcomes for the environment and for people. **Hertford Road, Ilford** This latest warning follows one given to the trust about damage done to a flood defence at Hertford Road, in Barking. In an incident last July, the trust gained unauthorised access to private land and damaged the flood defence, which residents and businesses depend on for protection from flooding. **Detail – Why the Concern?** We note that litter and debris were cleared; the river is no longer stagnant and is now flowing. This is a positive outcome. However, potentially significant environmental impacts have been identified, and the work raised concerns in five key areas: * The potential spread of invasive species on site, with a risk of further spread beyond the site, as it appears biosecurity protocols may not have been followed. * The removal of trees, scrub and bank vegetation that provided important habitat for species for feeding, shelter and nesting. The full impact of this is currently unknown. * Visual evidence that dredging disturbed sediment and released possible-polluting silt. * The presence of a Thames Water sewer running through and beneath the brook. If this had been struck during dredging, it could have caused raw sewage to enter the river, resulting in a significant pollution incident. * Concerns regarding the health and safety of individuals working on site. The Environment Agency and River Roding Trust share the same goal of protecting the River Roding. We have invited the trust to meet with us, and we look forward to discussing next steps with them, including helping the trust navigate the permit process. But this isn’t just about permits. It's about trying to prevent actual damage to the environment we are all seeking to improve. **You can read our news release:** Environment Agency issues warning to River Roding Trust - GOV.UK

Flooding affects many communities across England. As climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events, new Environment Agency research shows that ensuring our approach to flood risk management is both effective and equitable has become more important than ever. **Flood risk is not evenly distributed** For over two decades, Environment Agency research has shown a relationship between flood risk and deprivation. Our latest analysis confirms that these inequalities persist today. The National Flood Risk Assessment indicates that around 6.3 million properties in England are in areas at risk of flooding from rivers, the sea, surface water, or a combination of these sources. Of these, approximately 4.6 million properties are in areas at risk from surface water flooding. By combining property-level flood risk data with population estimates from the Office for National Statistics, we estimate that around 11.3 million people in England live in areas at risk of flooding. Our analysis shows that more than 2.5 million people who are vulnerable to flooding from rivers, the sea or surface water also live in the 20% most deprived neighbourhoods in England. Approximately 9.3 million people in England are exposed to the growing risk of surface water flooding, which occurs when heavy rainfall overwhelms drains and drainage systems, causing water to accumulate on the ground leading to flash flooding. Of these, 2.1 million live in the most deprived towns and cities in England, meaning that nearly one in four people exposed to surface water flooding are in the country's most disadvantaged urban communities. Coastal communities experience some of the most pronounced inequalities. Around one-third of people living in coastal areas at risk of flooding also live in the most deprived areas of England. **Why this matters and how we are tackling inequality** Our analyses highlight that flood risk is not a marginal issue. It effects a substantial proportion of the population affecting communities in every part of the country. The uneven distribution of risk matters because flooding does not affect all communities in the same way. Communities experiencing deprivation often: * have fewer resources to prepare for flooding * face greater disruption when flooding occurs * take longer to recover afterwards The Environment Agency has recognised this challenge in its updated flood and coastal erosion risk management (FCERM) funding policy. An important feature of the policy is a stronger focus on fairness and targeting investment where it is most needed. The policy sets out clear commitments: * At least 20% of FCERM investment will go to the most deprived communities * At least 40% will go to the two most deprived groups combined We are also working with the British Red Cross to find ways of supporting those at flood risk. This includes initiatives such as the Building Resilience Together programme; which is creating local centres or ‘hubs’ with the goal of building local preparedness and resilience. We also work with Communities Prepared who provide training and information for local volunteers who want to support their communities during emergencies. In addition, we are a part of the Action Group on Communications and Community Engagement for the Floods Resilience Taskforce, which brings together experts and decision makers from across UK government, non-government and industry organisations at local and national level. It includes people involved in all stages of flooding resilience, including preparedness, response and recovery and has a particular focus on vulnerable communities. We are also testing to see if different ways of working with people to make their homes fit for the future are effective. The Resilient Roch project in Rochdale for example is providing household surveys to assess flood risk, heating and home insulation. This approach combines flood management, energy efficiency and the chance to talk about those issues with those more vulnerable to future flooding and climate change. More information about our research is available on gov.uk

Protecting fish health and supporting sustainable fisheries is a key priority for the Environment Agency. We work closely with partners and fishery managers to reduce the risk and impact of fish health incidents, including Koi herpesvirus (KHV), which affects carp and presents a risk to recreational fisheries from potential significant fish mortalities. From 2026, the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) are changing how they may respond to and control KHV in fisheries. This is part of a targeted operational change towards a more proportionate risk-based approach for managing KHV disease in England and Wales. The FHI remains responsible for statutory surveillance and control of listed aquatic animal diseases, including KHV. We will continue to support the FHI in response to listed and emerging diseases as well as our own remit to protect the health and resilience of fisheries. **The Environment Agency’s role** We will continue to play a key role in responding to fish health incidents and reducing the risk of spread between recreational fisheries. Where fish mortalities occur in fisheries we will: * Continue to investigate significant mortality events in fisheries under our remit to maintain, improve and develop fisheries. * Conduct fish health investigations to determine the cause of mortality and inform appropriate management and biosecurity measures. Report any suspicion of listed disease to the FHI throughout our investigations * Support fisheries by providing advice, guidance and management measures that aim to reduce stress to fish experiencing a disease outbreak, including for KHV where stress is a significant factor that triggers clinical KHV disease outbreaks, and where reducing stress remains the best way to mitigate the risk and impact of the disease. Where KHV is confirmed, we may: * Not issue authorisations to use equipment at fisheries to aid recovery following a mortality, to support good biosecurity practices and reduce likelihood of disease transfer to other fisheries until the risk has reduced. These measures are separate from and do not replace the Fish Health Inspectorate’s statutory responsibilities for listed disease surveillance and control. * Monitor fish health and mortalities at the fishery These actions are intended to support good fisheries management and biosecurity practice, particularly during periods when the risk of KHV disease expression and onward spread may be higher. We will work closely with the fishery owners to provide them with advice and guidance to support them during an outbreak. We will continue to work closely with the Fish Health Inspectorate to protect the health of our fisheries nationally. **When restrictions are lifted** Applications to use equipment for the purpose of moving fish may be authorised once temperatures have dropped below those associated with outbreaks of KHV disease. This will usually be when: * Fish deaths have stopped, and * Water temperatures fall below those required for disease expression. We will work with fishery managers throughout this process and provide advice to support recovery. **What you need to do** Fishery owners, managers, and anglers all have an important role to play in protecting fish health. * **Report fish deaths or distress** : Contact the Environment Agency incident hotline on **0800 80 70 60**. * **Report suspicion of listed disease** : If you suspect a listed disease such as KHV, you must notify the Fish Health Inspectorate.: * Email: fhi@cefas.gov.uk * Telephone: 01305 206700 * For urgent enquiries, including reporting disease suspicion, a 24/7 on-call service is available via this number. **Follow biosecurity best practice** : Good biosecurity practices and fish movement controls remain essential to preventing the spread of disease. **Supporting healthy fisheries** These changes aim to strike the right balance between protecting fish health and reducing unnecessary burdens on fisheries. We will continue to respond promptly and effectively to disease risks, while supporting fishery operators to manage their waters. We will continue to review our approach and work with partners and stakeholders to ensure our response to fish disease remains effective, practical and proportionate.

Waste crime is a serious crime - blighting local communities, harming the environment and undermining legitimate businesses. For the first time, we have published a national watchlist of waste sites in England, as part of the Environment Agency’s enhanced response to tackle the issue. It forms part of our enhanced intelligence gathering of the 117 sites to enable communities to see where we are acting. This is a key commitment of the Environment Agency’s 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime, a comprehensive strategy that places transparency and community engagement at its core, while encouraging the public to report any activity they see and are concerned about. Waste crime is a growing and increasingly sophisticated threat, and tackling it demands a genuine partnership approach – government, regulators, local authorities and the public working together to spot criminal activity early and stamp it out. We are sending a clear message: we will not tolerate illegal waste activity and will hunt down those behind it. This blog answers the most frequently asked questions about our new watchlist. **Where exactly are these sites?** We have published information on 117 sites. The watchlist forms part of our enhanced intelligence gathering to enable residents to see where we are acting - a key commitment of the Environment Agency’s 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime. It forms a central part of the Environment Agency’s 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime, a comprehensive strategy that places transparency and community engagement at its core, while enlisting the public's help in identifying and reporting criminal activity We cannot prejudice ongoing enquiries and any associated enforcement action and due to this will not be providing further breakdown of these sites. Whether any activity is illegal is ultimately a matter for the Courts to decide. However, we recognise the need to support communities in accessing information which might affect them. We will share more details on individual sites as it becomes available – with a view to releasing any site-specific information, which is appropriate to share publicly, by summer 2026. **Are these all the sites that we are aware of?** There are currently around 700 known waste sites across England. This list covers 117 sites we consider to be high priority sites. **What is high priority?** A site is considered high priority because it is causing concerns within local communities, and the list enables residents to see where we are working now. Accurate local information to effectively tackle waste crime is critical in protecting people and the environment from any potential risks. If you have any information about any of the sites included in our watchlist, or suspect illegal waste activity anywhere, please call our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060. You can also report information to call crime stoppers via their website. **What is the EA doing at these sites?** All reports of illegal waste sites are taken extremely seriously. Sites are subject to investigations by our regulatory teams where they work through a range of options to deal with them. For sites presenting lower levels of risk, we work to bring them into compliance through regulatory action and engagement. Sites that present serious risks will receive our most intensive attention, which can include criminal investigations. As these sites are part of ongoing investigations, we will not be publishing further information on them. **Will the watchlist be regularly updated?** We intend to update it every month as we recognise the need to support communities in accessing information which might affect them. We will share more details on individual sites as it becomes available – with a view to releasing any additional information by summer 2026. **Will we be clearing all these sites?** We are not funded to clear waste sites. However, in line with the polluter pays principle, we will always seek to ensure that those responsible for dumping waste in our towns and cities pay for the cost of cleaning it up. **Why are you clearing up some waste sites?** The sites announced by the government for clean-up were chosen due to a specific criteria, which includes posing a serious environmental risk and impact on the local community. This was a decision made by the government. **What are we doing to tackle waste crime across England?** We do not underestimate the real impacts on local communities across England affected by waste crime sites. In March, we launched our 10 Point Plan to tackle waste crime, with action to establish a new Intelligence Unit, move faster to shut down illegal waste sites and make greater use of enforcement tools. This forms part of a focused, sustained programme to strengthen prevention, improve detection and deliver more consistent enforcement. However, this cannot be addressed by us alone – with the public and other law enforcement partners, we can make lasting progress against waste crime. The Government is cracking down on waste criminals with it new Waste Crime Action Plan setting out a zero-tolerance approach to put an end to the damage they cause. The plan sends a clear message: dump illegally and you will face the full consequences. **What can the public do if a site in my area is not on the list – or they have more information about one of the sites?** Accurate local information to effectively tackle waste crime is critical in protecting people and the environment from any potential risks. If the public has any information about any of the sites included in our watchlist, or suspect illegal waste activity anywhere, they can call our 24-hour incident hotline on 0800 807060. They can also report information anonymously to Crimestoppers via their website.

Outcrop of the geology (Ballagan / Cementstone Formation) at Burnmouth beach, just north of the border in Scotland. The geology here gave an indication of geology and estimated depths for the different rock types underlying Berwick. My name is Diane Steele and I am a Senior Groundwater Technical Specialist in the Environment Agency’s Groundwater and Contaminated Land team for the North East area. Our team is responsible for the regulation and management of water abstraction licences to protect the groundwater in our area. Therefore, we need to consider any implications on the future availability of water and climate change impacts whilst reviewing existing and future abstraction licences in the catchment. **Updated geological mapping** Core rock samples of the geology underlying Berwick obtained during drilling of a new borehole in March 2026 to confirm the geological formations and rock properties for the revised geological maps and boundaries. Around 70 metres of core was collected from the new borehole. In 2022, we commissioned British Geological Survey to undertake a modern re-survey of the Fell Sandstone Formation and surrounding strata to improve our understanding of the regional groundwater system. This has now been turned into a Geological Story Map that has just been published on the BGS website. Before then the last geological survey of the Berwick area was back in 1922. This updated mapping will help us when considering extensions to abstraction licences, where we require good quality and up to date information on the water environment, including an understanding of the geology, hydrology and hydrogeology. Each catchment has a Common End Date (CED) for abstraction licences, at which point we have to consider the impact from the abstractions and the on-going need for the water use. The Till and Tweed catchment - which wholly falls within the Environment Agency’s North East Area - has a Common End Date of 31 March 2027, which is fast approaching. **Conditions** © Environment Agency and Scottish Environment Protection Agency copyright The geology of north Northumberland, along the border with Scotland, is very complex comprising of three main formations including the Fell Sandstone, Ballagan (Cementstone) and Scremerston Coal Measures. The Fell Sandstone Formation is the principal aquifer supplying drinking water to the Berwick‑upon‑Tweed area and is a vital resource for farming and industry across the Till and Tweed catchment within England. Due to the complexity, there are gaps in understanding of the geology and hydrogeology of the area resulting in difficulty undertaking our regulatory role in protecting groundwater for the area. **Abstractions** Many abstraction licences within the catchment have a time limit of 31 March 2027, at which point we will assess their sustainability and whether they can be renewed for up to a further 12 years. Over the past 10 years increased public and private water demand across the area has led to declining water levels and sustainability concerns. Understanding the geology of the aquifer is therefore critical to support our efforts to regulate and manage water abstraction effectively. **Outputs** The outputs of this and other linked projects will ultimately help to fill our knowledge gaps and assist in the production of a numerical groundwater model that will help us fulfil our regulatory role, particularly to tackle any Water Framework Directive (WFD) failures and ensure abstractions are sustainable. The 2022 geological survey is expected to be included in the next cycle of Berwick geological maps, expected around 2028. More information on how we make sure there is enough water for the future needs of both people and the environment is available here.

Author: Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager, Environment Agency **Windermere is under pressure** Windermere needs no introduction. Millions of people visit every year to swim, sail and soak up the scenery and beneath the surface it supports extraordinary wildlife. It is, quite simply, one of England's greatest natural assets. But like many lakes across the country and worldwide, it faces a growing challenge from nutrient pollution and the warming effects of climate change. Nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen enter lakes from wastewater managed by the water company and by private individuals or businesses and through run off from land. In small amounts they are a natural and essential part of aquatic life. When levels get too high, though, they trigger excessive growth of tiny plant-like organisms called phytoplankton and some of these, particularly blue-green algae, can produce toxins that are harmful to people and wildlife. Blooms can make water unsafe for swimming, put pressure on drinking water supplies and hit the local economy hard. So, we asked a big question: what does climate change mean for Windermere's future and what can we do about it? **What we set out to discover** We wanted to answer two things. - How will climate change affect nutrient levels and phytoplankton growth in Windermere and Esthwaite Water that drains into Windermere over the coming decades? And can targeted local action help counteract those effects? To find out, we used computer models that connect what happens across the wider landscape - discharges of treated wastewater, storm discharges, land management including farming, rivers and streams draining into the lakes - with what happens inside the lakes themselves. We looked ahead to the 2070s and tested three different approaches to managing nutrient pollution. The results are genuinely fascinating. **What climate change could mean for these lakes** Climate change will alter how nutrients move through the landscape and into our lakes. By the 2070s, with climate change, the total amount of nutrients entering the lakes each year could increase by up to 7%. But it is not just the overall quantity that matters, it is the timing. Nutrient concentrations are projected to be highest in summer, exactly when algae grow fastest and when the lakes are at their busiest. Without action, both lakes would exceed World Health Organisation safety thresholds for blue-green algae more frequently than they do today. In plain terms, that means more days when it would not be safe to swim, at the very time of year when people most want to be in the water. That is the challenge. But here is where it gets exciting. **The good news: we can and are making a real difference** We tested three management approaches: * Planned improvements by water companies to reduce nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment. This is the investment underway by the water company through AMP8. * Support to adopt positive practices to reduce nutrient runoff from land across the catchment. * Eliminating all nutrient inputs from wastewater treatment entirely. Every single scenario produced positive results. Under each one, the number of days per year that blue-green algae exceeded the safety threshold was lowered even with climate change factored in. And in Windermere, the most ambitious scenario was enough to fully offset the projected climate impacts altogether. That is a remarkable finding. Climate change is a global problem that no local team can solve on its own. But this research shows that targeted local action on nutrient pollution can genuinely protect the health of our lakes. As a nation, a county and community we have the ability to decide what is right locally, nationally and internationally. Scientists have studied Windermere for decades and each piece of research adds another piece to the jigsaw, helping us build a clearer picture of the pressures the lake faces. This research focuses on one specific type of phosphorus and doesn't cover other forms that can also harm the environment, nor does it look at bacteria like those tested at bathing waters. Some people may want to compare this research with the 2023 Source Apportionment study, but it's important to note that the two studies examined different types of phosphorus and organised their findings in different ways. This means they can't be directly compared - but both are valuable and valid pieces of research in their own right. **Every lake tells its own story** One of the more nuanced findings is that the same actions had different effects in the two lakes. In Esthwaite Water, algae levels remained a concern even under all three management scenarios, reflecting differences in size, depth, shape and historic practices. This is actually a really useful insight for how we work going forward. Effective action needs to be tailored to the specific character of each lake or basin rather than applying a blanket approach. It means smarter, more targeted regulation, and ultimately better outcomes. **What this means for the future** This research is another important contribution to our understanding of Windermere, giving us and our partners greater insight to inform decisions about managing nutrient pollution as the climate changes. The modelling approach can also be applied to other lakes facing similar pressures, helping identify which interventions will work best and where. It is important to note that this study focused on phosphorus and nitrogen. Other pollutants also affect lake health, which is why the Environment Agency pursues a broad range of initiatives beyond the scenarios modelled here, including work on sediment, bacteria, and land management across the whole catchment. However, the headline message is an important one and one we are genuinely proud to share based on the quality of the scientific work done: The impacts of climate change on our lakes are real and they are coming, but they are not inevitable. With the right action in the right places, and a collective approach to reducing nutrients from all sources - we can protect Windermere and lakes like it for the people, wildlife and businesses that depend on them, for generations to come. Windermere has been here for thousands of years and with the right action, it will be here, healthy and thriving, for thousands more. The full report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nutrient-futures-for-windermere

Delivering the major projects needed to meet the UK's net zero commitments, strengthen energy security and support economic growth requires environmental regulation to be delivered effectively. Developers of nationally significant infrastructure often navigate complex environmental requirements involving multiple regulators. These protections are critical, but the process of engaging with them has not always been as coordinated as it could be. In April 2025, Dan Corry's independent review of Defra's regulatory landscape identified this fragmentation as a barrier to both sustainable growth and nature recovery. Among its recommendations was the creation of a Lead Environmental Regulator (LER) – a single coordinating body providing developers with clearer, earlier, and more consistent environmental guidance, while maintaining robust environmental protections. The government accepted that recommendation, and the Environment Agency has played a central role in developing and delivering the pilot programme that followed. The LER programme is currently being tested across a small number of projects to learn what works, identify where improvements are needed and inform any longer-term implementation. This blog sets out what the Lead Environmental Regulator approach involves, introduces each EA-led pilot currently underway, and shares early reflections on what we are learning. **What the Lead Environmental Regulator does** Under the LER model, a single regulator is appointed as the primary point of contact for a developer throughout the planning, permitting and licensing process. That regulator coordinates input from regulatory partners so that advice is aligned and provided as early as possible. The aim is to reduce duplication, avoid unnecessary delays, and give developers greater clarity about environmental requirements. Pilots will focus on specific stages or activities within a project rather than its full regulatory lifecycle. The LER is designed to improve coordination and early issue resolution within those defined stages - it does not influence decision-making outside the pilot's scope. These clear boundaries help ensure realistic expectations and a fair evaluation of the pilot's impact. Importantly, this model is a reform to how regulation is coordinated, not what is required. All statutory duties, Environmental Impact Assessments, permitting standards, and mitigation obligations apply in full. By taking a holistic view of environmental risks and opportunities, the LER approach is intended to enhance the delivery of environmental protections and speed up the process. Where technical disagreements between regulators cannot be resolved through day-to-day collaboration, the LER framework includes a clear escalation route to Defra's Infrastructure Board, a body established following the recommendations of the Corry Review, to address environmental challenges early in a project's lifecycle before they become blockers. The Board does not take regulatory decisions but provides structured problem-solving support and government scrutiny. Each pilot includes three formal evaluation points: at commencement, around four to six months, and at ten to eleven months. Together, these will assess regulator and developer views on whether the LER approach leads to earlier issue identification, clearer advice to developers, and less duplication across regulators. The LER programme is also part of Defra's Plan for Change commitment to fast-track 150 major infrastructure decisions this Parliament. The Environment Agency leads three of the five current pilots. Learn more about them below: **Pilot spotlight: East West Rail** East West Rail is a major new railway linking Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford, and Cambridge, designed to improve connectivity across the Oxford–Cambridge growth corridor and reduce road congestion in one of the UK's fastest-growing regions. It is expected to unlock £6.7 billion in economic growth, enable up to 100,000 new homes, and connect 3.5 million people across the Oxford–Cambridge corridor. Live since 1 January 2026, the East West Rail LER pilot was the first to be led by the Environment Agency. The project is now entering a phase of active environmental regulatory engagement, and its complexity makes it a strong test case for the LER model. Environmental considerations include multiple river crossings, flood risk management, water quality, ancient woodland and habitat connectivity. The Environment Agency coordinates closely with Natural England and the Forestry Commission to provide aligned advice to the developer. As the third pilot to go live, the East West Rail LER scheme is building upon early feedback from the other pilots to ensure close, joined-up working between regulators. **Pilot spotlight: Lighthouse Green Fuels** Lighthouse Green Fuels (LGF) was announced as an LER pilot on 9 April 2026. It is a proposed second-generation Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) facility at Seal Sands, Billingham, on Teesside. When developed, it will be one of the largest SAF facilities in Europe, converting around 1.5 million tonnes of biogenic waste and residues into over 180 million litres of sustainable aviation fuel and approximately 30 million litres of green naphtha (feedstock for producing jet fuel) each year, supporting the UK's Jet Zero Strategy and wider decarbonisation goals. LGF is well-suited to an LER pilot due to its scale, technical complexity and significant marine infrastructure works including a new quay, dredging, and piling – requiring close coordination between regulators. The Environment Agency will lead collaboration across Natural England, the Marine Management Organisation and the Planning Inspectorate to deliver clearer, more efficient regulation while maintaining robust environmental standards, including environmental impact assessments, emissions and noise modelling, contaminated land assessment, flood-risk mitigation and marine ecology safeguards. The pilot runs from April to September 2026, with evaluation at the start, midway point and towards the end. Findings will contribute to the wider LER programme evaluation due in early 2027. **Pilot spotlight: Sizewell C** Nuclear new build projects are inherently complex and typically take many years, reflecting the need to rigorously manage environmental and safety risks. The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We regulate the potential impacts of nuclear sites, such as Sizewell C, on people and the environment by issuing environmental permits. Our regulation and permitting covers activities required for site investigation and preparation, construction, operation and decommissioning of the power station. Key environmental considerations include water resources, waste reuse, discharge permits, ecological impacts, marine risks, coastal erosion, air quality and long‑term radioactive waste management. The Environment Agency has been engaged with the Sizewell C project since 2010. The LER pilot formalises and strengthens the working relationship already established with Natural England and the Marine Management Organisation, enabling more coordinated environmental advice as the power station is constructed. **Lower Thames Crossing and Falmouth Docks** Two further pilots are underway, led by other regulators. Lower Thames Crossing was the first major infrastructure project selected to pilot the LER approach under Natural England in July 2025. The project is a new road connecting Kent and Essex through two 2.6 mile tunnels beneath the River Thames. Read more about the project’s LER pilot here. Falmouth Docks, involving the redevelopment of deep-water dock infrastructure in Cornwall, was the second pilot announced and is led by the Marine Management Organisation. Further projects may be added to other regulators’ pilot programme as suitable candidates are identified and agreed. Together, the current five pilots span energy, transport, ports, and industrial decarbonisation, demonstrating the breadth of nationally significant projects where improved regulatory coordination can add value. **What comes next** We will share progress at key milestones across all EA-led pilots, report on evaluation findings as they become available and reflect on the learnings. Additional projects may be added to the pilot programme and these will be announced as they are identified and established. **Early learnings – a view from the Chief Regulator****Jo Nettleton** > As Chief Regulator, I have been encouraged by what the early stages of the LER programme are showing. Our role as an environmental regulator is pivotal to ensuring that sustainable growth and energy security is delivered in a way that protects and enhances the environment. We need to be risk based, proportionate, effective and efficient, and although the LER pilots are still at a formative moment, the overall direction of travel is positive. > > At East West Rail, work since January 2026 has focused on establishing new ways of working and embedding the single point of contact model. Both developers and regulatory teams now have a clear understanding of LER’s purpose, particularly as a single point for risk discussion and issue escalation. > > Feedback from the Lower Thames Crossing pilot indicates that closer collaboration between regulators is enabling earlier sharing of emerging issues and better alignment of regulatory positions - helping to surface challenges sooner and reduce the risk of late-stage surprises. > > Our newest pilots, Lighthouse Green Fuels and Sizewell C, will follow the same structured evaluation approach. Findings from these pilots will also feed into a wider programme evaluation in early 2027, and this will be a moment for us to be transparent about what is working and where we need to improve. > > I am looking forward to seeing what the formal evaluation points later this year reveal about how we can support sustainable growth while protecting the environment we all care about. For ongoing updates on LER pilots, follow the Chief Regulator’s LinkedIn page.

Recent, entirely misleading coverage by Channel 4 claims that the Environment Agency has prioritised the use of enforcement undertakings, rather than criminal prosecutions, against water companies for serious pollution incidents. We completely reject this characterisation. Enforcement undertakings represent one of the many tools in the Environment Agency’s arsenal – but we continue to bring forward prosecutions for the most serious offences. Since 2021 we’ve prosecuted and secured convictions in 37 cases against water companies. The recent coverage selectively concentrated on a very limited dataset where offending and sentence had occurred in the last five years – overlooking our prosecutions of very significant cases, many of which are now imminently awaiting sentence. Timings for sentencing rest entirely with the courts, rather than with the Environment Agency. We are stepping up our enforcement activity right across the board, having completed over 10,000 inspections of water companies in the last year. This step change has also seen a record sum of £8.5 million raised through enforcement undertakings. Enforcement undertakings are legally binding agreements between the Environment Agency and companies that have breached environmental rules. The undertaking requires the company concerned to take steps to prevent repetition of the offending and to put right the damage it has caused. This money can help deliver immediate benefits to the environment, without requiring lengthy and uncertain court proceedings, which can take years to secure meaningful penalties. They are a complement to our wider enforcement work – not a replacement – and we will not pass up opportunities to repair damage and improve our waterways. Examples of the kind of impacts enforcement undertakings can have include: * Over £4.5 million raised from Severn Trent which has helped local charities including the Trent Rivers Trust and Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust deliver targeted improvements in the affected catchments through measures such as habitat restoration, barrier removal and water quality improvements. * £300,000 paid by Wessex Water following their pollution of the River Gascoigne, being used by the Yeovil Rivers Community Trust to improve habitats in the area, including vital work to support endangered water vole populations. It will create reedbeds, wetlands and ponds at Yeovil Country Park and along Preston Brook. With more people, better data, and stronger powers, we are holding water companies to account more than ever. **An Environment Agency spokesperson said:** “These claims are nonsense. Since 2021 we’ve prosecuted and secured convictions in 37 cases against water companies. “Prosecutions are just one tool against water pollution, and we have also levied a record £8.5 million in enforcement undertakings against water companies in the last year alone, directly restoring harm done to our waterways and improving water quality for communities across the country."

From 28 April 2026, permitted operators receiving waste onto their site are encouraged to start using the new digital service to record receipt of waste. This marks the start of a phased transition for everyone involved in the handling of waste to record waste movements digitally. Although participation is voluntary from April, the move to mandatory digital reporting has been laid in legislation. All affected organisations will be legally required to use the service from October 2026 in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland and from January 2027 in Scotland. Operators should treat preparation as essential rather than optional. Digital Waste Tracking is a central part of the UK’s strengthened regulatory approach to waste management. It will eventually replace fragmented and inconsistent systems with a single digital service. When it becomes mandatory, any permitted site that receives waste must comply with the new requirements. Failure to do so will be considered non-compliant and may lead to enforcement action. #### Why does this matter? Waste crime costs the UK economy an estimated £1bn each year. Communities are left with pollution, abandoned waste and the long-term environmental impact of illegal activity. Many of these issues are enabled by poor record keeping, falsified paperwork and inconsistent processes. Paper notes and current reporting methods make it too easy for waste to be misdescribed, lost within the chain, giving criminal operators freedom to act without scrutiny. Digital Waste Tracking will help close these gaps. The service will create a clear and near real-time record of where waste goes and who is responsible for it. Operators will benefit from a service that makes it simpler to comply with regulations and levels the playing field for legitimate businesses by tackling waste crime. Operators who fail to meet their legal duties will be easier for us to detect and are more likely to be investigated. #### What the new service will do Receipt of waste is the first part of Digital Waste Tracking, giving permitted waste receiving sites access to record waste digitally through either an application programming interface (API) linking directly to their waste management software, or through a simple to use spreadsheet. #### Permitted waste reciving sites must use the service from October 2026 A temporary alternative submission route will be available during the transition period. Permitted waste sites must use Digital Waste Tracking once it becomes mandatory in October. Initally we will not be moving away from current reporting methods. This means operators must also continue to complete hazardous waste consignee returns, quarterly waste returns, consignment notes and waste transfer notes as normal alongside using the Digital Waste Tracking to record receipt of waste movements. #### Non-compliance will lead to enforcement Once the service becomes mandatory, organisations will be required by law to use it correctly. Failure to comply will constitute a breach of waste regulations. Regulators will use the enforcement powers available to them where organisations do not meet their obligations. These powers include formal warnings, statutory notices, civil penalties, suspension or revocation of permits, and prosecution where the circumstances justify it. Penalties can be significant and may affect an organisation’s ability to continue operating within the waste sector. As we move to digital reporting, non-compliance will be easier to detect and harder to conceal. #### Building barriers against waste crime Digital reporting will give regulators more clear, consistent and accurate data. This will strengthen oversight of waste movements across the UK and help identify unusual patterns that may indicate unlawful behaviour. It will support earlier interventions and provide the evidence needed to take firm enforcement action. Responsible businesses will benefit from a more transparent and fair system in which compliance is easier to demonstrate. #### Waste carriers, brokers and dealers will be next Work has already begun to apply Digital Waste Tracking to waste carriers, brokers and dealers, so we encourage this group to begin preparing now. Discovery work has also started on Article 18 Green List Waste. This includes Annex VII which is the formal format/paperwork, that falls under the formal regulatory rules, which Article 18 Controls for shipping waste across international boundaries. Early engagement will help ensure the service meets operational needs while supporting compliance. #### Sign up early Digital Waste Tracking is one of the most significant regulatory changes in a generation. Mandatory use is approaching and organisations that do not prepare will face the risk of non-compliance and potential penalties. Signing up now is the most effective way to ensure readiness and to help shape the final service. If you would like further information on the service please visit our dedicated GOV.UK page at Digital waste tracking service - GOV.UK. #### Get involved What would make digital reporting easier for your organisation? Your feedback will help us continue to improve the service. Please call our dedicated Digital Waste Tracking Helpdesk on 03000 203 781 (open Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm) or leave a comment.

Thirty years ago, the Environment Agency first opened its doors. It had a clear dual purpose: to protect the environment and support sustainable development. Back then, climate change was a distant warning rather than the pressing reality it is today. Public expectations on pollution were quieter. Technological progress and our ability to leverage data was slower. Our understanding of environmental pressures was less immediate. The world has shifted profoundly since 1996 and because of that, our regulation has changed – and is continuing to do so. As the Environment Agency’s Chief Regulator, I think it is important to be honest about this journey. The moments that have been a catalyst for change, the challenges we’ve faced and the way our regulation has evolved can all tell us something important about what our regulation is for and where it needs to go next. I am certain that what will not change is our determination to protect homes and habitats, to regulate with conviction, and to make sure those who pose a threat to the environment are held to account. That purpose has driven us throughout three decades and it will guide us through the decades to come. **Moments that changed our regulation** Some of the most significant changes to how we regulate have come from major incidents that have driven a real difference in our approach. **Case study: Buncefield** The Buncefield explosion in December 2005 was one of the largest peacetime incidents this country has seen. In the early hours of Sunday 11 December 2005, a dense fog formed around the Buncefield fuel depot on the edge of Hemel Hempstead. A large petrol storage tank was overfilling, and vapours spread across the site - where additional fuel tanks were stored - and beyond. The explosion injured more than 40 people. Had it occurred at a different time of day, people may have been killed. Fires burned for five days, destroying much of the depot, damaging nearby businesses and properties. It devastated the surrounding environment and tested our response capacity to its limits. It also fundamentally reshaped how the EA and our partners approach the regulation of major hazards. The Control of Major Accident Hazards (COMAH)**** framework that was developed following Buncefield raised the bar for safety at major hazard sites. Our subsequent role as part of the Competent Authority - working alongside our partner regulators at the Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, Natural Resources Wales and the Office for Nuclear Regulation - was key to making a step change in our approach to regulation of major hazards. In its aftermath, we helped shape new fuel storage standards and worked closely with the industry and other regulators across England, Scotland and Wales to embed the lessons learned, which were published in 2011. This critical work has led to an improvement in safety. Alongside major incidents, wider legislative and policy changes have also shaped our regulatory landscape. Over the past three decades, new laws, frameworks and targets have steadily expanded our responsibilities and strengthened the tools we use to protect the environment. **Case study: Brexit and the Environment Act 2021** The UK's departure from the European Union in 2020 ushered in the biggest rewrite of environmental policy in a generation. It created a need to establish a domestic framework for environmental protection that had previously been underpinned by EU law. The Environment Act 2021 responded to that by introducing legally binding long-term targets for air quality, water, biodiversity and waste, and created the Office for Environmental Protection as a domestic watchdog. This means that regulatory bodies, including the EA, are increasingly accountable for how we uphold environmental law. That strengthened accountability is something I welcome as Chief Regulator. It helps to ensure that our work is effective, proportionate and enabling of sustainable growth. **Technology is increasingly shaping how we regulate** These changes go together with another shift I’ve seen over my career: the rapid evolution of technology. Environmental regulation has evolved from a mostly reactive discipline into one that is increasingly data-driven, intelligence-led and proactive. That evolution has been gradual. Nevertheless, the range of technologies we use today – from satellite monitoring to drone-led inspections – would have been almost unimaginable when the Environment Agency first began. **Case study: Using Optical Gas Imaging technology to tackle the harms of illegal waste** A good example of where technology is taking our regulation is our use of Optical Gas Imaging (OGI) cameras. OGI cameras allow our officers to visualise gas plumes and emissions that are completely invisible to the naked eye, including methane. That capability is transforming how we regulate emissions from permitted sites. In Thames Area, our teams are currently using OGI cameras to support work on criminal waste dumping, helping our team identify fugitive odorous and gas emissions on site. Beyond immediate enforcement value, this work also contributes to reductions in methane emissions, directly supporting the EA's Methane Action Plan. I’m clear that this is where our regulatory capability is heading – targeted, evidence-led action, supported by technology to manage risks proportionately. Alongside on-site technological support, we are beginning to embed AI and machine learning into compliance analytics, moving away from routine time-based inspections towards a dynamic, risk-sensitive approach that identifies non-compliance earlier and targets our effort where it matters most. We are also developing a data returns portal to receive and act on near-real-time monitoring data. I believe that this improved use of data and technology will increasingly underpin everything we do as a regulator. Just as technological developments have transformed regulation over the last thirty years, new systems will streamline high-volume services, improve customer experience, and support faster, smarter decision-making into the future. **Building the regulatory profession** Our people have always been at the heart of environmental regulation. Our inspectors, scientists, permit specialists and enforcement officers are the ones who make the system meaningful on the ground. Over thirty years, the profession has grown enormously in capability and breadth. We now oversee 10,000 permitted sites and manage 22,600 miles of river across more than 40 regulatory regimes. **Case study: Developing a confident regulatory profession** We are investing in our profession more than ever before, through technical training, new career pathways and stronger leadership development. One of the things I am most proud of in recent years is the growth of our water enforcement capacity almost fivefold since 2023. This has given us the largest team of investigators, enforcement officers and lawyers we have ever dedicated to tackling water pollution. This reflects a cultural shift towards tougher, more consistent enforcement and a clearer signal to those who pollute that the consequences are real. **What the sectors we regulate have achieved** Across the sectors we regulate, long‑term trends show how effective, sustained regulation can support positive environmental outcomes. The progress is measurable, and in many cases, decades in the making. I believe these outcomes demonstrate what is possible when clear standards, strong partnerships and evidence‑led regulation work together over time. **Case study: Supporting emissions reduction and nuclear safety over 30 years** Between 2000 and 2024, the industrial sectors we regulate under the Environmental Permitting Regulations saw a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, an 84% reduction in nitrogen oxides, a 97% reduction in sulphur oxides, and a 68% reduction in PM10 particulates. By maintaining clear expectations and applying proportionate, evidence‑based oversight, I believe that regulatory frameworks can help support these long‑term shifts. I see a similar role when looking at nuclear regulation. In the 1980s and 1990s, radioactive sea discharges from Sellafield presented high-profile challenges. But between 2000 and 2004, an EA-led review of technetium-99 discharges - carried out alongside domestic and international partners - supported around a 90% reduction in those discharges. The results included declining levels in seafood, lower radiation doses to the public, and significant hazard reduction at storage facilities. I'm proud about so much of what our regulation has supported, but there is more to do. As I reflect on the last thirty years, I'm equally focused on what comes next. **What comes next** The decades ahead will bring new pressures, including the escalating impacts of climate change, emerging pollutants, growing resource demands and rapid shifts in technology. Regulation will need to be more agile, proportionate and future facing. It must support innovation and sustainable growth while continuing to protect the environment. Making our regulation more agile, we have launched our Accelerated Permitting Transformation (APT) Programme to create a faster, smarter and more consistent service which delivers better outcomes for applicants, people and the environment. Alongside our wider work to tackle ongoing challenges in key sectors, I believe that transforming our regulation will be at the heart of this country’s ambition as we face an increasingly fast-changing world. **Thirty years on** The Environment Agency remains steadfast in its mission. We are proud of the progress made, honest about the challenges ahead, and ambitious about what comes next. Our purpose has not changed – regulation that delivers for people, for nature, and for the future. That is what drove us in 1996 and it is what drives us still.

When you think about net zero, what comes to mind? Sunlight reflecting off solar panels? Turbines spinning in strong coastal winds? We’re used to looking up and out to imagine a low-carbon future. But one of the most powerful tools for reaching net zero isn’t in the sky or the sea – it’s beneath our feet. The subsurface is vast, secure, and uniquely suited to underpin the technologies that will define a low-carbon economy. Deep underground reservoirs can permanently store carbon captured from industry and the atmosphere. Salt caverns and depleted gas fields can safely hold clean energy like hydrogen until it’s needed. Heat from the Earth itself can be tapped for low-carbon geothermal energy. Even natural rock formations can act as giant thermal batteries, storing heat in summer to warm buildings in winter. But not all of the subsurface is accessible, and some parts are much better suited to hosting net zero technologies than others. This raises an important question: is there enough usable subsurface space for different net zero technologies, and what happens if it starts to get crowded? ## Leaving no stone unturned At the Environment Agency, we have a responsibility to protect and improve the environment and regulate activities that impact it. Research helps us understand what different net zero pathways mean for the environment, the sectors we regulate, and the communities in which we work. “For the net zero transition to be sustainable and just, it has to work for people, nature, and the economy. Finding that balance while acting with the urgency needed to address climate change is one of today’s greatest technical challenges,” said Environment Agency Chief Scientist, Dr Robert Bradburne. “Working together across sectors means we can approach this challenge from all sides, which unlocks efficiencies and opportunities for industry, government, and the people we serve.” To this end, the Environment Agency and British Geological Survey (BGS) teamed up to explore the impacts of net zero on the subsurface. We wanted to know whether technologies that use the subsurface could be located within the same, or neighbouring, underground spaces. And if they were located close together, what effect could this have on the environment and people? **Wind turbines, both offshore and on land, are anchored into the ground for stability. They’re one of many net zero technologies that use subsurface space.** ## Geology: the underground enabler of net zero For this study, we looked at different net zero technologies that use the subsurface: carbon capture and storage, geological energy storage (hydrogen and compressed air), wind energy, and geothermal energy. We started by considering the subsurface features that these technologies need to work, such as depth, temperatures, and rock characteristics. From there, we identified the types of geological settings that could be used for more than one technology. “The United Kingdom’s remarkably diverse geology offers a foundation for net zero – porous sandstones that can securely store carbon, salt formations ideal for hydrogen storage, and hot, fractured granites that unlock geothermal heat,” said Dr Michelle Bentham, Chief Scientist for Decarbonisation and Resource Management at BGS. “We have the ideal subsurface environment to power a cleaner future.” Salt caverns, which are created by dissolving naturally occurring salt in rock, are one example of a setting with several uses. Salt caverns could potentially host hydrogen or compressed air. Another example is deep rocks that contain lots of small, connected spaces that are filled with salty water, which could be used for deep geothermal energy or storing carbon dioxide. ## How, and where, will the subsurface be used? BGS previously mapped the potential of the subsurface to host these low-carbon technologies based on geological setting. They combined these maps with one another to see which parts of the UK could host multiple net zero technologies (see darker areas in the map below). In England, this includes the east, north east, Cheshire Basin, and Wessex Basin – places close to where planned net zero industrial clusters are located. “It’s no coincidence that areas with the greatest geological potential for the energy transition sit alongside major industrial clusters. Industry originally grew where the right rocks and resources were found,” said geologist Dr Jim White, project lead at BGS. “Today, those same sedimentary basins and salt formations that once powered industrial development can store carbon, hydrogen, and heat, allowing us to repurpose both the geology and the infrastructure to support net zero and clean growth.” **Map showing areas of higher (dark) and lower (light) potential for locating low-carbon technologies in the subsurface (BGS © UKRI).** ## How could underground crowding affect the environment? We hosted a workshop to hear from industry, government, and universities. From these conversations, it was clear that environmental issues might arise where infrastructure from different technologies accidentally connect. For example, boreholes are often drilled into the ground to transfer fluids to and from the subsurface. If they collide with other infrastructure, this can create holes that become pathways for pollution to reach groundwater. “These environmental impacts might be small when considering a single technology but can add up when combined with effects from other technologies,” said Dr Sian Loveless, geoscientist and project lead at the Environment Agency. “However, using neighbouring space in the subsurface can open up opportunities for industries to work together and reduce their impact on the environment.” Better planning can help industries to complement, rather than compete, with one another for space and resources. Doing so can help minimise disruption from construction and operations at the surface, while reducing the number of boreholes that need to be drilled into the ground. ## And what about people? It is also important to consider how the use of the subsurface by net zero technologies might affect society, since this will influence how and where these technologies can be used. “Social scientific evidence is an integral part of our research,” said Dr Katie Dow, who led the Environment Agency’s exploration of social and behavioural science on this project. “Understanding what the public thinks, feels, values, and fears makes us better equipped to achieve a net zero transition that aligns with their priorities.” We found that the public want to know that net zero technologies are safe and effective. Other factors that shape public opinion include past experiences with industrial installations, views on climate change, and trust in operators. One lesson from the literature and workshop was clear: it is always important to engage early and transparently. **A sustainable transition must consider how people across the country feel and think about net zero.** ## Making space for a low-carbon future A particular challenge we found was joining up the different timescales at play – technological, climate, environmental, and geological – that reflect changes happening today through to 10,000 years in the future. When would technologies be ready to break ground? How long would they be in operation? When could environmental and social affects be felt? Future work would benefit from “grounding” these issues within places to pin down the details. By supporting a range of technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the subsurface is part of the nation’s solution to reaching net zero and combatting climate change. This work has helped us understand and anticipate how this might look in terms of timing, space, and combinations of different technologies. By considering a range of net zero options upfront, we can plan the subsurface in ways that work better for the climate, for nature, and for people.

_In March 2026, the Environment Agency hit a key milestone, completing over 10,000 inspections of water company assets in the last twelve months._ _The ambitious target was met by the hard work of the Water Industry Regulation Teams – tirelessly carrying out inspections of sewage treatment works, pumping stations and combined sewer overflows on the network._ _One of the officers involved in making these inspections happen is Callum Johnson, an Environment Officer in the Severn Trent Water Industry Regulation Team._ _Callum joined the Environment Agency last year as part of the recruitment drive to increase water enforcement workforce almost fivefold nationally -_ to be its largest ever_. He has a geography degree and previously worked as a geotechnical engineer before joining the Environment Agency._ _This blog covers what Callum’s job is like on the ground inspecting sewage treatment works, pumping stations and combined sewer overflows on the sewer network to ensure that water companies meet their legal and environmental obligations._ **My first six months as a Water Industry Regulation Officer: what I’ve learned so far** When I stepped into my new role with the Environment Agency’s Water Industry Regulation team, covering Kidderminster and Tewkesbury, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. Six months on, I can confidently say that this has been one of the most rewarding and eye-opening periods of my career so far. **Building strong foundations** My journey began with a comprehensive induction programme. The technical training and local sessions delivered by my team really brought the role to life. They helped me understand not just what we do, but _why_ we do it and how my day-to-day work contributes to protecting the environment and the communities that depend on it. The training has been rigorous. I’ve completed permit inspection, pollution incident response and enforcement training. Each one has added depth to my understanding and increased my confidence in applying my knowledge in real situations. **Developing my inspection skills** During my time in the team, I’ve been steadily developing my inspection skills. This has become one of the most rewarding parts of my role so far because inspections sit at the core of what we do. They’re where I can directly protect the environment, influence real change on site and see the impact of my actions almost immediately. Every inspection feels like a moment where my work genuinely matters, and that sense of purpose has made this part of the job especially meaningful. Good regulatory work isn’t just about spotting problems; it’s about understanding the full picture and making fair, evidence-based judgements that help prevent future issues. Through my training I’ve learned how desk-based research builds the groundwork such as reviewing permit conditions, digging into site histories and examining compliance records. Then I’ve learned about inspecting water company assets on the ground including how they are planned, how evidence is gathered on site, and how compliance is assessed and documented. **Learning on the ground: incident response** I’ve also been learning about incident response, which has been one of the most impactful parts of my role. In my first few months, I supported colleagues at a range of environmental incidents, from minor pollution events to more complex situations requiring coordinated action with multiple partners. As my experience has grown, so has my involvement. Over the past two months, I’ve attended a wider variety of incidents as an active incident responder, dealing with different types of pollution, operational failures and environmental risks. Working on more incidents has helped me understand how quickly situations can change and how important our team’s early assessments are in shaping the entire response. Watching experienced colleagues make decisions under pressure has been invaluable and I’m now increasingly contributing directly by gathering evidence, speaking with operators and supporting the wider team on site. Each incident has strengthened my judgement and given me a clearer understanding of what real time environmental risk management looks like. **Every site is unique** Over the past few months, I’ve been undertaking inspections myself. These have mainly focused on pumping stations and sewage treatment works, and each one has offered something different. What has stood out most is how every site is unique. Even when inspecting similar asset types, each location has its own operational challenges, environmental risks and ways of working. This variety has pushed me to apply my training to real world situations, adapt quickly, and think critically on my feet. Some inspections have been straightforward, while others have required deeper investigation or follow up. Each one has added another layer to my understanding of how assets operate and how compliance is maintained. Through my inspections, I’ve learnt how to work professionally with Severn Trent Water site managers and operators to find solutions. Open, constructive conversations are key to understanding the practical challenges they face, while we work to find resolutions to any compliance issues. Alongside the site work, I’ve also been responsible for writing the Compliance Assessment Reports (CAR forms) for these inspections. Producing these reports are key to translating our findings into formal regulatory outcomes. **Looking ahead** Reflecting on my first six months, I feel grateful for the support, guidance and encouragement I’ve received from my team and the wider organisation. They’ve helped me build not just technical knowledge, but confidence in my own professional identity. And as the EA undergoes one of its biggest periods of change such as strengthening our data, expanding our enforcement workforce, and increasing our regulatory reach, it’s motivating to know that I’m playing a part in that shift. Being one of the people contributing to over 10,000 inspections nationally this year makes the work feel bigger than my individual role. It’s a reminder that every site I visit feeds into a much wider picture of improving compliance, preventing harm, and driving the environmental outcomes we’re all here for. There’s still plenty to learn, and I know I’ll be taking on greater responsibility in regulating the water industry as time goes on, but I’m excited for that challenge and proud to be part of the change we’re delivering. Find out more about jobs in water industry regulation.

**The modern way to find many of the services, trades and products we need to buy is to look online. It’s quick, easy and you can do it from the comfort of your own home.** But it is a minefield of hidden dangers. Criminals are lying in wait on social media platforms, apps and selling platforms that you use. Criminals dealing in waste are no different. They know they can get their hands on rubbish you want to get rid of by advertising their services online. They’ll draw you in with offers of quick and cheap collection services. Cheap because they aren’t working within the law. Cheap because they won’t take your waste to a legal waste disposal site. **Did you know, you are responsible for making sure anyone you pay to take away your rubbish is a registered waste carrier?** Its not good enough if they say they are registered. You must check because they could be displaying false information in their adverts, knowing most people won’t check. It’s easy and quick to check. Visit the public register: Waste Carriers, Brokers and Dealers (data.gov.uk) Here you can check the company name and address and registration number, if they’ve displayed that. **If they don’t appear on this register – they are a waste criminal. Do not give your rubbish to them.** They will dump it, with no regard for the safety of people or the environment. Often these criminals create a veil of legitimacy designed to make you think they are running a legal business. They might display the Environment Agency logo on their advert. **They do not have our permission to use our logo.** This is not a sign of legitimacy or of our approval. **Always check the public register.** **Waste criminals and the damage they cause are costing the public purse and the legitimate waste industry** **an estimated £1billion every year.****** **** We are working hard to stop waste criminals, but the best way to stop them – is not to allow them to get hold of rubbish in the first place. This is where you can help by being vigilant and making sure you don’t give your rubbish to the wrong people. **Find out what to do with rubbish you can’t put out for kerbside collection:** Dispose of household waste - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ******Be our partner in crime prevention by reporting any suspected waste criminals to Crimestoppers.** 100% anonymous. Always. Independent UK charity taking crime information anonymously | Crimestoppers (crimestoppers-uk.org)

Copyright: Holtec International As regulators of the nuclear industry, the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) are working together to make sure that any new nuclear power stations built in the UK meet high standards of safety, security, environmental protection and waste management. The government’s recently published National Policy Statement for nuclear energy generation (EN-7) says that nuclear energy provides an abundant, safe and reliable source of low carbon energy. The Environment Agency’s nuclear regulation is central to this ambition. We want nuclear power to contribute to the government’s strategy in a way that embeds sustainability principles, considers the whole lifecycle of the power station, is designed to be decommissioned, and protects people and the environment. We’ve just announced the end of Generic Design Assessment (GDA) for Holtec International’s SMR-300 small modular reactor. Its SMR-300, a 320 megaWatt electrical (MWe) pressurised water reactor, has been issued with a Step 2 statement. What does this mean and what have we said about this reactor design. Our lead nuclear assessor for this reactor Emma Atherton explains. **What’s the difference between a two step and three step generic design assessment?** We created GDA nearly 20 years ago in 2007 after government asked us and the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) to look at how to de-risk new nuclear reactor projects. Initially all GDAs followed the full process, including detailed assessment, taking up to five years. Then, seven years ago in 2019, we introduced an option of stopping or pausing after the initial two steps (Fundamental Assessment) following discussions with government about how to make our process more enabling for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and less-developed designs. Our Reactor Assessment team has completed this two-step review in just over two years. Step 1 was completed in August 2024 and since then the project team has been examining the fundamentals of the SMR-300 design. Our focus in Step 2 is on fundamentals related to environmental protection and waste management such as how the design avoids creating radioactive waste. Our colleagues at the ONR focus on the safety and security fundamentals. Illustration of SMR300 design. Copyright Holtec Britain. **What did we learn about the SMR-300 design?** Our headline conclusion statement is that there are “no ‘fundamental’ environmental protection shortfalls in the design of the SMR-300 at this stage of assessment that could prevent the design from being acceptable for future deployment in England or Wales”. While the design is still evolving, the frameworks and approaches presented by the company give us confidence that environmental protection objectives can be achieved. Our published reports cover seven assessment topics including ‘discharges of liquid and gaseous radioactive waste’, ‘sampling and monitoring’, ‘solid waste, spent fuel and disposability’ and ‘best available techniques (BAT) and radioactive waste management arrangements’. We studied the company’s information about the management of solid wastes and spent fuel, noting that further work is required at the pre-application and site-specific permitting stage, to provide a full disposability case. We are also recommending continued consideration of decommissioning throughout the detailed design work to ensure there is sufficient information for any future permit application. We found that calculation of discharges and proposed limits for gaseous and liquid discharges presented in GDA is thorough, systematic and appropriate for this stage. And we are satisfied that Holtec understands the requirements associated with sampling. We also reported that the radiation dose to the public and wildlife is likely to be below the dose limits. **What’s next for the reactor design?** Holtec International didn’t ask for a detailed Step 3 GDA, so a further period of detailed assessment will be required before construction can begin at a site in England and Wales. The detailed assessment could take place as part of pre-application work for permitting or by restarting GDA. We’d assess the detailed design for how it ensures environmental protection and would also assess design changes that have been made since we began our assessments. Last November Holtec International and its partners announced a new project to develop a former coal-fired power station site in Nottinghamshire. And, as the company is also taking forward plans to deploy the reactor at its Palisades site in Michigan USA, we’ll be able to work closely with US regulators to improve coordination and efficiency of any future assessment of the design. In 2024 we visited the company’s HQ in New Jersey. You can read about that visit and the benefits of working closely together in our previous blog. Discussing production of components and storage casks at Holtec’s advanced manufacturing facility. **Get involved and keep up to date with progress** Holtec International, EDF in the UK and Tritax announced plans to work together to construct SMR-300 SMRs at the former Cottam coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. In the future you’ll be able to read information and share your views through site specific consultations for environmental permits and public engagement work we’ll organise at that time. You can read about other GDA work on our website . Follow our dedicated Environment Agency LinkedIn page Regulating Radioactive Substances’ for regular updates on our nuclear and radioactive substances regulation. Ask a question or join our ebulletin list by emailing nuclear@environment-agency.gov.uk

Protecting the environment in an interconnected world means looking beyond our own borders. Air pollution, climate change, emerging chemicals, radioactive substances and waste crime all present challenges that require shared expertise and harmonised regulatory action across countries. That's why the Environment Agency plays an active and increasing international role - sharing knowledge, learning from new approaches, and ensuring world-leading science underpins our domestic decision-making. Our EA2030 strategy sets out our ambition to expand international knowledge-sharing partnerships, enhance regulatory outcomes through collaboration and work more closely with global partners as the world changes. The examples that follow show how this approach is being put into practice to deliver sustainable growth and improved environmental outcomes worldwide. **Building robust knowledge networks with regulators and international bodies** Our EA2030 strategy envisions that by 2030, we will: * Expand international knowledge-sharing partnerships to bring in business data and intelligence that helps us improve our services and anticipate risks. * Work more closely with partners to solve problems together, collaborating to make progress as the world changes and avoid, reduce, or mitigate environmental challenges that may have global impacts. To deliver on these ambitions, it is critical that we engage on best techniques and expertise with our international partners including regulators and international bodies. > **Case study: Sharing our insights in South Korea** > > In November 2025, the UK Best Available Techniques team attended the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Expert BAT Group in South Korea. The UK BAT team sets a benchmark for environmental technical standards and principles across industry by downloading and sharing best practices used to reduce emissions and impacts on the environment. > > The OECD Expert BAT Group identifies best available techniques worldwide and shares guidance to support countries developing environmental protection plans, focusing on standards, techniques and emission limits. At the event, the UK BAT team gave our feedback on OECD projects from hydrogen manufacture to the circular economy in metals, whilst also sharing their expertise on the UK BAT process. > > The meeting was followed by a two-day event hosted by the South Korean Environment Agency, where over 120 inspectors and industry representatives exchanged insights on BAT implementation and emerging techniques. day event hosted by the South Korean Environment Agency, where over 120 inspectors and industry representatives exchanged insights on BAT implementation and emerging techniques. **Tackling waste crime across borders** Waste crime is a serious challenge in the UK and overseas. As waste moves across borders for treatment, reuse and recovery, unregulated or criminal operators can exploit gaps to undermine legitimate businesses and pollute the environment. The impacts of poor waste management on communities, the environment and the climate can be felt far beyond where the waste originated. That’s why we’re taking decisive action alongside our international partners to tackle illegal waste operations. > **Case study: export of waste pneumatic tyres** > > We recently reviewed our regulation of waste tyres and their export and found that waste tyres may have been sent to illegal pyrolysis facilities in India. Under Indian law, the import of waste tyres for pyrolysis is illegal. Eighty-nine percent of the UK’s waste rubber is exported to India for recovery into secondary products. We have a duty to ensure wastes are treated by destination recovery facilities in an environmentally sound manner. > > To help tackle this problem, we invested in our partnership working with the Indian environmental authorities and committed to enhanced verification checks for exports of waste pneumatic tyres exported to India from 1 October 2025. We have also committed to provide additional training to our staff about the requirements of the UK Waste Shipment Regulations. > > This strengthened approach will help us stop illegal exports, reduce environmental harm, and protect legitimate businesses on both sides of the supply chain. This is the first step in our ambitious plan to increase regulation of article 18 (green list) wastes. We plan that from July 2026, exporters will need to provide data for all article 18 waste and undertake risk-based compliance activity – ensuring these shipments are the right quality and being treated correctly overseas. We will be consulting exporters about a proposed charge and take account of feedback. This is an interim compliance step until digital waste tracking for waste shipments is available. **Enhancing sustainable growth and global safety through nuclear collaboration** The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear companies and the sites they operate meet high standards of environmental protection throughout the stages of design and construction, operation, and decommissioning. Our international connections help us to regulate effectively, share best practice and ensure our approach reflects international benchmarks. > **Case study: ARPANSA-EA knowledge exchange** > > In May 2025, the Environment Agency’s Nuclear Regulation team hosted the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) in Bristol for a mutual knowledge exchange meeting. > > The two-day meeting shared technical knowledge on environmental radiological monitoring programmes and radiation incident management, which are crucial areas. > > By strengthening our relationship with ARPANSA, we are showcasing how international regulators can work together to protect the environment whilst delivering sustainable growth. Nuclear technology and radioactive substances can also present serious risks if not managed to international safety standards. That’s why our staff engage with international bodies to contribute our expertise to shaping those standards where we can add value. > **Case study: IAEA task force visit to Fukushima Daichii** > > In December 2025, the Environment Agency’s Chief Regulator Jo Nettleton travelled to Japan as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) task force overseeing remediation at the Fukushima Daichii Nuclear Power Plant. > > The devastating impacts of both the Fukushima tsunami and the ensuing nuclear explosions at the plant led to the release of large amounts of radioactive material from the reactors. > > One of the impacts of this has been the generation of vast quantities of radioactively contaminated water - around 1.3 million cubic metres is stored across the site. A major water treatment facility (ALPS) was constructed to remove most of the radioactivity, after which the water is being massively diluted with seawater and disposed at a slow rate into the sea over a period of thirty years. > > The task force concluded that the discharge of ALPS-treated water from the power station is progressing in line with international safety standards, providing expert oversight to ensure confidence in the Japanese government’s approach. Our involvement helps ensure global confidence in nuclear regulation and reinforces our role as a trusted regulator. **What’s next for our international engagement?** Across the Environment Agency, teams are collaborating with overseas partners on issues ranging from air quality monitoring to flood resilience, plastic pollution, chemicals regulation and nature protection. As we deepen this work, we are making greater use of virtual engagement to reduce emissions, cutting travel costs and opening more international opportunities. Maintaining our prominent international position and forming new partnerships ensures the Environment Agency remains an authoritative, science-driven and forward-thinking organisation. We are committed to enhancing our work on the international stage as we move towards 2030. Our international work demonstrates that strong regulation and global collaboration go hand in hand - protecting people and the planet while supporting sustainable growth at home and abroad. For further updates on our international engagement work, follow the Chief Regulator’s LinkedIn page.

**by Caroline Douglass, Exec Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management** Flooding is one of the most devastating experiences a community can face. The loss of a home, a business, or simply the sense of safety and security in the place you live leaves a mark that lasts long after the water has receded. We know that for many families and communities across England, that experience is not a distant memory — it is a very real and recurring fear. That is why the work we do at the Environment Agency to protect communities from flooding matters so deeply.  It is why we are proud to be delivering what is now the largest flood improvement programme on record. **Investing at a scale that makes a real difference  ** This week, we have confirmed more than 600 flood schemes will receive a share of £830m in funding to help better protect tens of thousands of homes and businesses this year. This is part of a £1.4 billion investment in flood defences in 2026/27. This year's investment sits within an even bigger picture: over £10.5 billion is being invested between 2024 and 2036 as part of the long-term commitment to building a more resilient, climate-ready England. In addition to the £830 million investment, more than £260 million will be made available for managing, maintaining and repairing assets including those damaged following Storms Goretti and Chandra because we understand the ongoing benefit of keeping existing defences in good condition, so that they work reliably when they are needed. The scale of that investment reflects the scale of the challenge. The frequency of extreme weather events is increasing, driven by climate change, and the consequences for communities and the wider economy are severe.  The National Flood Risk Assessment has identified over 6 million properties at risk, increasing to 8 million by 2100. Flooding already costs the UK economy billions each year, but for every £1 invested in flood schemes, at least £8 worth of economic damage is avoided. This is not just about protection; it is about giving communities, businesses and local economies the stable foundations they need to grow and thrive. **Delivering where it matters most  ** The 2026/27 allocation builds on work already well under way, with projects being funded this year spanning the full breadth of what flood risk management looks like in practice; from major flood barriers and beach management projects to natural flood management schemes that work with the landscape to slow and absorb water. Projects are delivered by Environment Agency and other Risk Management Authorities, reflecting the strength of the partnerships that sit at the heart of this work. By working alongside Regional Flood and Coastal Committees, local authorities, Internal Drainage Boards, Rivers Trusts, farmers and landowners, we are making sure investment reaches the communities that need it most. Today's announcement coincides with yesterday’s Flood Resilience Taskforce meeting in Manchester, where recent winter storms, including the significant flooding experienced across the South West was discussed, along with what more can be done to protect homes and businesses across the country. **Being honest about the challenge ahead  ** We want to be clear with communities, because they deserve nothing less. Today's announcement is positive but there is always the expectation that we will do more. For many places, it provides the certainty needed to complete schemes that communities have long planned and prepared for. But for others, funding gaps remain, and schemes that local people have been hoping to see progress will not move forward this year. The demand for flood investment consistently outstrips the funding available. The decisions about which projects receive funding are made through a rigorous process, overseen by Regional Flood and Coastal Committees and the Environment Agency Board.  The flood funding policy announced in October was designed to prioritise schemes already under construction and those closest to completion. To the communities not seeing their scheme progress this year: we have not forgotten you. Our teams across England are committed to working with local partners to keep plans moving forward, to explore every available funding route, and to be open and honest about timescales and next steps. **A programme built for the long term  ** The government's £10.5 billion commitment provides the foundation to plan, build and deliver flood resilience at a scale that genuinely changes the picture for communities across England. The Environment Agency will continue to use every tool available from investment to natural flood management to community engagement to reduce flood risk and help people feel safer in their homes. We are proud of what our teams and partners achieve every day. The 2026/27 programme is the latest chapter in that story, and we look forward to sharing the milestones and achievements it will deliver in the months ahead.

When people ask me what I do for a living, I tell them that I help the Environment Agency fight waste crime. I work in a team of waste crime engagement specialists covering the whole of England and our role is to bring together partners, information and action that enables the Environment Agency to shut down waste criminals. My work changes day to day, often evolving around meetings with partners where we discuss waste crime issues and trends. As my title suggests, I engage with lots of partners to highlight, inform, and warn them about waste crime activity we are seeing in our region. We share information about what we know and discuss what we need to do collectively to progress investigations that we are working on. By doing this, we are better able to understand the local waste crime landscape and fill in any intelligence gaps that we have. I work with partnership forums such as rural crime networks (and many others) where we look at how to engage with landowners to share advice on what they can do to avoid being duped by unscrupulous individuals - waste criminals - looking to dump waste on their land. #### Tackling the criminals who are exploiting the waste industry I’m sure you’ll have noticed several stories in the local and national press about large scale waste dumps; tonnes of illegally dumped waste. We’ve always had illegal waste sites to investigate but these have traditionally been small outfits run by individuals who don’t know or in some cases, don’t care that they must follow rules when it comes to storing, handling, processing or disposing of waste. Now we are dealing with large-scale operations where organised crime groups, often involved in drugs, firearms and people trafficking, are moving into the waste industry. The offenders are dangerous individuals. The waste crimes they commit ruin lives, cause damage to places where people live, poison the environment, undercut the legitimate waste industry and cost the economy £1billion every year. Insight from respondents to our National Waste Crime Survey last year, estimated that 35% of waste crime is committed by organised crime groups. We are in an age where criminals are exploring waste crime as an alternative way to make and launder (‘clean’) money. If the criminals are adapting, then so must we. Traditionally, dealing with organised crime group’s has been the role of the police. We are now finding that our knowledge and experience is being sought to assist the police in investigating individuals and groups that commit other types of crime but exploit the waste industry. The police are well versed in the tactics used by criminals in their illicit activities, however there is a shortage of waste industry knowledge and experience within many police forces, and this is where people like me come in. #### Joining forces with the police Last year I delivered awareness training to Police Intelligence Teams about waste crime , key tactics used by waste criminals and where we might be able to support their investigations e.g. site visits, regulatory visits, intelligence gathering/sharing and joint working. These sessions highlighted how, with additional training, intelligence gathering could be improved by involving Neighbourhood Policing Teams, including those officers performing roadside checks. Neighbourhood Police Officers are the eyes and ears of a police force so equipping them with the knowledge of what to look out for and report back has been incredibly fruitful. These sessions have been so successful that I am now planning to work with Neighbourhood Policing Teams in the remaining police forces that operate in our region. Intelligence received from one of those neighbourhood teams led to me joining an enforcement officer on a day of intelligence gathering drive-by site visits recently. These visits were arranged to determine whether “persons of interest” were carrying out waste activities and identify where the Environment Agency could enforce any environmental law and support police disruption of those activities. These drive-by’s were useful and resulted in a multi-agency raid a few weeks later at a site suspected of processing waste illegally. Working with partners like the police and local authorities, provides a useful insight into how other organisations think and work. By sharing our thinking and pooling our resources, we can achieve much more than we could alone. Strengthening and building upon our existing relationships is something I will continue this year, starting with a waste aide memoir for police officers to refer to during roadside checks. #### Help us stop waste criminals Remember you can help too. If you see of suspect an individual or business of illegally handling waste, report it to our 24 hour incident hotline 0800 80 70 60, or to Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111 https://crimestoppers-uk.org/give-information/forms/give-information-anonymously

The River Breamish restoration project in Northumberland has reconnected the river to its roots – bringing a boost for people and wildlife. **Tucked away in the beautiful Breamish Valley, south of Wooler in Northumberland, one of the UK's most ambitious river restoration projects has recently reached completion - and the results are already remarkable.** The River Breamish at Harehope Estate is flowing freely once again, finding its own course through a landscape it was separated from centuries ago. But this project is about much more than one river. It's a blueprint for how we restore our waterways for generations to come. Like so many rivers across the UK, the Breamish was disconnected from its past. It was historically straightened and modified for agricultural purposes with around a mile of natural river channel lost. Over-management through dredging, bank protection and flood embankments kept it pinned in place, disconnected from its floodplain and the rich mosaic of habitats that depend on that relationship. The result was a river officially classed as being in 'unfavourable condition', with declining freshwater species, reduced biodiversity and increased flood risk downstream. What makes this project stand out is the way it has blended the historical with the cutting-edge to find the right answer. The team turned to ancient maps held in the archives at Alnwick Castle, some dating back to the 1600s, to trace the river's original course and meanders. That historical detective work was then combined with modern Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology, which created detailed 3D models of the terrain to pinpoint exactly where the river once flowed. From there, the restoration work included excavating and diverting the river into its historic channels, installing silt traps, shallow ponds, wetlands and woody dams to deflect water into the new channels. Crucially, the river has been given room to find its own 'final design' - and it's already doing so, spilling onto its floodplain, forming wetlands, and adapting and changing naturally with every rainfall event. Wildlife has responded quickly. Heron, kingfishers and damselflies have already been spotted using the new habitats; water crowfoot, a rare plant central to the Till catchment's protected status, is establishing in the new meanders, and salmon and sea trout are moving freely through the site to their upstream spawning grounds. The team combined studying ancient maps with modern technology to trace the river’s original path. But perhaps the most important lesson from the Breamish project, which was delivered through the LIFE WADER nature-recovery project, is that restoration at this scale is only possible with landowners on board. Working with Harehope Estate, the partnership - Tweed Forum, Environment Agency and Natural England – supported the transition away from an intensively managed river to one with space to move and breathe. The Countryside Stewardship scheme has played a vital role in recognising the long-term land management changes needed to make that transition sustainable. The government scheme provides financial help for farmers, foresters, and land managers in England to enhance the natural environment. The results are already inspiring neighbouring landowners to explore what restoration might look like on their own land - a legacy effect that could ripple far beyond this single site. The pioneering Breamish project is a key element of the River Till Restoration Strategy, which has now been working to improve the Till catchment for more than a decade. That long-term commitment has transformed a landscape of exceptional conservation importance, home to otter, Atlantic salmon and all three native lamprey species, by tackling the cumulative impacts of centuries of modification, one stretch at a time. The breadth of that improvement is visible across the whole catchment, from improved water quality and fish passage to stronger flood resilience and richer habitats throughout. The Till strategy shows what a decade of strategic thinking, partnership working and genuine community engagement can deliver. It's not just the story of one river finding its way home, it's a model for how we give nature the room it needs to recover.

We’re delighted to announce the launch of a new digital tool that lets you report on the health of your local rivers, lakes and beaches in real-time, directly from your phone. BluePrint, developed by the Environment Agency in partnership with Hello Lamp Post, builds on the success of WaterWatch - a year-long pilot that gathered public observations at five bathing water sites. Now, the concept is going national. **Shared views on shared environments** England's waterways are constantly changing. While the Environment Agency carries out extensive monitoring, measurements alone can't capture how these changes are felt by the people who swim, walk and paddle there. That's where you come in. We're working with citizen scientists to gather insights from communities who visit their local waters most often -perspectives that can help us spot changes earlier and support more responsive environmental decision-making. What grows in your local waters? Photo credit Charlotte Hawkins To build this richer picture of people’s experiences, we are continuing our partnership with _Hello Lamp Post_  and developing their digital AI tool, in our new pilot project _BluePrint_. The new national digital conversation tool will allow the public to share real‑time observations from rivers, lakes, beaches and streams anywhere in England. It builds on the success of _WaterWatch_ , a site‑based pilot that used QR signs to engage people at five bathing water locations between October 2024 and October 2025. Their input gave us unique insights into water clarity, levels of activity and visible signs of pollution. _BluePrint_ expands the concept from five sites to pilot a national, remote‑access tool, ensuring anyone can participate without needing to locate a sign, giving us a way to hear directly from people whenever they are out enjoying their local waters, and helping us understand how places are being used and what changes people are noticing. **What is the BluePrint pilot?** Unlike the _WaterWatch_  pilot, _BluePrint_  does not rely on physical signs and QR codes at set locations. Instead, _BluePrint_  will be testing the use of geolocation so you can share your observations from any river, lake, beach or stream, anywhere in England. Tell us about your favourite spots and if they are changing. Photo credit Charlotte Hawkins With _BluePrint_ , you can record information such as water clarity, how many people are in or near the water, what activities are taking place, and any visible signs of pollution. The platform also brings in live Environment Agency data, including pollution risk forecasts, tidal heights and river gauge levels. You can then ask any questions about local environmental conditions or the Environment Agency’s work. Running from February to July 2026, this project aims to create a clearer national picture of how our waterways are used, supporting our ongoing monitoring and helping strengthen our response to environmental pressures. **What we learned from you** _WaterWatch_  was our first step in exploring how people’s experiences can add value to our environmental work. This year-long pilot invited people at five bathing water sites across England to share simple observations about local conditions through _Hello Lamp Post.  _Their input gave us unique insights into water clarity, levels of activity and visible signs of pollution. By working with local citizen science groups, we were able to increase the amount of data we received, with some groups taking part in the conversation on a regular basis. This helped to highlight issues such as seaweed accumulation and dog waste, which can affect water quality. _WaterWatch_  is now expanding to seven locations and will continue until July 2026. Existing signage will remain in place at the River Nidd, the Ribble at Edisford Bridge and Lake Windermere, while new signage is being introduced at the River Teme, the River Dart and additional sites in London and Worthing. New features, including photo uploads with automatic anonymisation, will further enhance the quality of the citizen generated data. **Get involved** Anyone can take part! Simply use _BluePrint_ _ _ on your phone from any river, lake, beach or stream to share real-time information. To find out more about _WaterWatch_ , head to one of our selected Bathing Waters and scan the QR code on the _Hello Lamp Post_  signs and share your observations. Together, _BluePrint_  and the expanded _WaterWatch_  network will open up more opportunities than ever for the public to engage with environmental protection. With national coverage, real-time data integration and enhanced functionality, these projects will support better decision-making and help the Environment Agency respond more effectively to environmental challenges. To learn more about the Environment Agency’s citizen science work and how to get involved, please visit our WaterHub page.

My name is Jess Pykett, I'm an Environmental Crime Officer (ECO) working in the Water Industry Regulation (WIR) Enforcement team. The Environment Agency announced it has assembled its largest ever workforce for tackling water pollution - expanding it by almost fivefold from 41 roles in 2023 to 184 in 2026, with a further increase planned in 2027. I started in April 2025 as part of a new cohort of officers employed to regulate and investigate water company non-compliance. Our team members bring individual knowledge and strengths to our work, helping to protect our environment and hold water companies to account. When we open an official investigation, as the result of a pollution incident or non-compliance, we work tirelessly to identify the root cause and advise on prevention measures. No two days are the same and we oversee such a variety of cases. **The work is varied** Cases can include everything from investigating pollution incidents on water treatment works to permit breaches or burst rising mains. Investigations can include requesting and reviewing legal data and information from water companies. We conduct interviews and we accompany Environment Officers to site inspections, working together to identify the root causes of environmental harm and non-compliance with the aim to prevent incidents from happening and ensuring others don’t happen again in the future. Our larger workforce is carrying out more inspections than ever before. We’re better at understanding the operation and condition of water company assets, such as sewage treatment works so to nail down those root causes which is essential for preventing problems happening in the first place. **Case in point** A recent case I worked on began when Environment Officers (EOs) identified pollution on a sewage treatment site. A piece of equipment was found to have failed. It was structurally damaged and caused partially treated sewage to collect on the ground underneath it. This needed further investigation and my team, and I were brought in to collate the evidence. During a site visit, we were able to observe and inspect the temporary measures the water company had installed whilst the damaged equipment was being repaired. Critically, we want to ensure sites are brought back into compliance as soon as possible and we work with the water company to ensure no further environmental damage can be caused. Since the partially treated sewage collected on the ground, our groundwater specialists requested soil samples to help prove what impact this pooled sewage had. We also sampled the nearby river to check for any environmental impacts. The data and photos from our site visits, along with evidence from our findings will be used as an evidence base for our investigation. Many of our cases require collaborative working among multiple teams and specialists to collect evidence in the form of data and documentation.  This can help identify the issues, solutions and most importantly hold those responsible to account. **Our legal powers  ** The Environment Agency’s legal powers will be further strengthened through the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025. The Act will bring significant changes in how we will regulate the water industry. It will help us take faster, firmer action against poor performance. There are other options also available for us which are an alternative to prosecution. These include a range of civil sanctions such as enforcement undertakings and Variable Monetary Penalties. Enforcement undertakings are an option we can use to secure compliance, restore and improve the affected environment, compensate impacted third parties and prevent further offending. I had experience working in the water industry before becoming an Environmental Crime Officer. This gave me the context and skills I need to work with water companies and their assets effectively. The Environmental Crime Officer role is one I am immensely passionate about. I’m proud of the work we do.  It leads to tangible outcomes that, ultimately, help to protect our environment for future generations to come.

Photograph credit: David Gasca. Allowing the river to reconnect with its floodplain works with natural processes to reduce flooding and improve habitats for wildlife. _by John Leyland, Executive Director of Environment and Business_ At the Environment Agency, nature is key to what we do. It’s our job to protect and enhance the environment, enabling nature’s recovery whilst contributing to sustainable growth, with an ambition for climate resilience and healthy air, land and water. We can't do this alone - partnership is at the heart of how we work. What does that mean in reality? It means supporting initiatives like the Evenlode Landscape Recovery scheme – a project that is rooted in the creation of powerful partnerships and has brought together communities, farmers, government partners to deliver at scale on environmental ambitions. **Farmer-led environmental ambitions** What’s particularly special about the Evenlode project is that it is a true farmer-led enterprise, with over 50 pioneering land mangers across the North East Cotswold bringing together more than 3,000ha of land for environmental enhancement. The project also hopes to secure private income for ecosystem services from multiple sources, including utility companies, Biodiversity Net Gain and carbon sales to help land managers seek additional revenue while delivering cost-effective environmental improvements. Embarking on their 20 year journey this February, landowners will restore and regenerate parts of their land, improving the functions of the three key rivers – the Evenlode, the Glyme and the Dorn. In doing so, they will create an agriculturally productive landscape that builds nature-based resilience for climate, flooding, biodiversity and water quality. By shifting farming practices at a catchment scale, including river flow management and soil health, farms can remain productive and profitable while delivering wide‑ranging benefits for land managers and surrounding communities. **Making Landscape Recovery possible  ** The Evenlode project is to be awarded over £100m in implementation funding from Defra, going to over 50 land managers, the majority being farmers, over the next 20 years**.** That's not just good for nature – the project has ambitious aims, with a tailored approach to improving soil health and flood management on each landholding. Measuring its impact is of paramount importance and the project has key markers of success it will be looking at – tracking soil quality, water quality and even the numbers of species, such as water vole. **How the Environment Agency set out to do things differently** I first heard about the Evenlode project at a round table event with assorted stakeholders talking about how together we could fix water. One speaker in particular was an articulate farmer who was passionate about farming and protecting and enhancing land for nature and habitats. His appraisal of the Environment Agency however was not positive. He cited needing many permits from several organisations with quite a few of them being from the EA, which he felt would take years, and the idea of restoration would be over before it began. It was a story of great people, but terrible anti-growth and anti-nature processes. I asked, how can I help? And from that chance meeting, we used the lived experience of someone going through the new Landscape Recovery scheme and took it into the way we operated in practice on the development of the project. In practice, this will mean new and innovative solutions from the Environment Agency, to help create rich wetland habitats and reducing flood risk to local communities. **Our role in Evenlode’s Landscape Recovery  ** As the lead administrator of the project through its development phase, we wanted to support those pioneering land managers to make their ambitions a reality by challenging ourselves to create real change. As the project has developed their plans for investment and have used our expertise in river restoration as ecologists, regulators and reformers to best to unlock this ambitious nature restoration project at scale. It’s been a hugely collaborative effort and a learning curve for us – but the determination of the project, its partners and our own people have led us to overcome multiple obstacles. Retaining the vision for ambitious environmental recovery is always at the core of its success. We have managed grants, provided bespoke one-to-one project support and given specialist advice to a project that’s ambitious with measurable outcomes. Importantly, we’ve weighed cost against impact and ensured public money is used wisely. This project is a great example of how, at the Environment Agency, we can use our resources and expertise to help facilitate nature-based solutions on large-scale programmes. It’s exciting to know that this project will go on to deliver a more resilient river habitat for farmers, local communities and nature by 2045. Now the project is within the implementation stage, it will be managed by our colleagues in Natural England, with the Environment Agency continuing to provide support on aspects like permitting – such as ensuring they have the right flood risk permits in place. **Innovating and improving into the future** Something we have trialled and developed and will continue to do so is our nature permitting and coordination service. It is tailor made to help speed up big, ambitious projects navigate of our permitting service - providing a dedicated team and structured approach to permitting for large-scale and complex nature recovery projects. Over the next year, we will continue to support more projects as they move through their development. **The future of Landscape Recovery** This isn’t the first scheme across the country to have an agreement ready for implementation and it won’t be the last. So far, more than 250,000ha of land (that’s equivalent to over 300,000 football pitches) and over 1,500 land managers have participated in the Landscape Recovery 2-year development phase. Projects are developing plans for more than 1,300km of river restoration, 35,000ha of peatland restoration, provide new or restore habitats for more than 260 species and benefit over 190 protected sites. **Healthier landscapes and real nature recovery** Taking this scheme from concept to delivery has been an exciting challenge and a clear sign of the progress we’re making towards EA2030—greater climate resilience, healthier landscapes and real nature recovery. Our partnership with NE, Defra and our ALB colleagues has shown this team at its best: acting with clarity and conviction, focusing on effective delivery, solving problems together and always serving with care. This collaboration is what makes the scheme so powerful and its legacy will guide and encourage other landscape recovery schemes to make the environment better. But for now, congratulations to the Evenlode team for a trailblazing project that will see a landscape’s recovery set in motion. We are proud to have played our part.

**Windermere: working together for cleaner water** When water companies were privatised in 1989, the government created a regulatory system to protect customers, as each company became the only water supplier in its region. Ofwat was created – to regulate what companies can charge and ensure fair investment. The Environment Agency and Natural England focus on people, communities and the environment, making sure these companies do not damage our land, rivers, lakes and coastlines, while the Drinking Water Inspectorate ensures our tap water is safe to drink. Every five years, Ofwat sets out how much each water company can invest as their baseline expenditure, balancing what customers pay through bills against funding from investors. This creates the Asset Management Plan (AMP) – essentially a five-year blueprint for: * Maintaining and upgrading pipes and treatment works * Ensuring reliable water supply for growing populations * Delivering crucial environmental improvements * The environmental programme The environmental improvements are managed through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). This ensures water companies fulfil their legal obligations to protect our natural environment. The strategic direction comes from WISER (Water Industry Strategic Environmental Requirements) – a framework developed by the Environment Agency and Natural England. To find out more, visit the WINEP actions ArcGIS map which displays the PR24 WINEP actions. ( Price Review 2024 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) App). So, what does all this mean for Windermere, one of England's most iconic lakes? Here, **Andy Brown, Northwest Water Regulation Manager** , explains how this regulatory framework is driving real improvements to water quality. **The role of the  EA  in regulating water companies** As the environmental regulator for England's water companies, we stand between industry and nature. Our teams are out gathering data every day – monitoring water quality, inspecting treatment works, investigating pollution incidents, and building sophisticated models of how pollution moves through our waterways. This evidence becomes the foundation for holding companies to the environmental commitments in their plans. The current investment period (Asset Management Period 8 - AMP8) runs from 2025 to 2030 and represents a turning point. Using the government's 25 Year Environment Plan and government’s legislative drivers, we've secured the largest environmental investment programme ever seen in England's water industry. Through the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP), we've significantly increased both the number and value of improvements water companies must deliver. For Windermere and all of our rivers, lakes and coastlines across Cumbria, this means real action on the ground. **What's happening now** Between 2025 and 2030, United Utilities are upgrading nine of the ten wastewater treatment works in the Windermere catchment, including Ambleside, Hawkshead, Grasmere and Near Sawrey. These improvements will reduce phosphorus load from wastewater treatment from these sites. The 10th wastewater treatment works which is the Windermere Wastewater Works at Tower Wood, was improved in AMP7 and completed in March 2020. In addition, the six storm overflows in the Windermere catchment will be improved to reduce the number of times they spill. When completed, Environment Agency permitting teams will update the permits to reflect these improvements so the new standards can be regulated. **How we are monitoring progress** Alongside our planning and auditing role in driving and shaping the investment water companies make, Environment Agency teams also regularly inspect treatment works and review monitoring data to ensure improvements are working as planned. We record this on compliance assessment forms and report progress annually (How you'll be regulated: environmental permits - GOV.UK). This forms part of how we assess water company performance. The data we capture includes: * total pollution incidents * serious pollution incidents * self-reporting of pollution incidents * discharge permit compliance **The Windermere catchment under previous investment periods** Previous investments have included upgrades to Windermere Wastewater Treatment Works, reducing phosphorus to the technically achievable limit of 0.25mg/l and reductions in storm overflow spills. To help us specifically understand the impact of water company discharges, we use a purpose-built computer model.  The program uses detailed catchment studies and lake modelling together with real data from water company discharges and other sources to understand exactly what's needed to improve water quality. This scientific approach ensures every improvement makes a real difference to the lake and that those improvements can be measured. **Other water quality regulation work** In addition to our regulation of United Utilities, we also carry out regulation of private sewage permitted sites in the Windermere catchment. This includes holiday accommodation, restaurants and private homes. Since January 2025 we have undertaken compliance inspections on over 95% of the private permits in the catchment and by January 2026, we expect this figure to have risen to 100%. I am pleased to say that only a very small number of these sites had non-compliances and most of these were minor. We are currently using our regulatory tools to ensure that all actions needed to bring any failing sites back into compliance are completed as soon as reasonably practicable. This programme of inspections also enables us to maximise the number of compliant private permitted sites which may be able to benefit from United Utilities ‘Wonderful Windermere’ scheme or ‘First Time Rural Sewage’ to further reduce phosphate from private discharges. Our regulatory role also includes a programme of farm inspections in the Windermere catchment. We'll be discussing this work in more detail in a future blog post. **Collaboration is key** Windermere is precious to all of us. That's why the Environment Agency is working with a range of public and private sector organisations as part of the Love Windermere Partnership alongside our formal role described in this blog to make significant improvements to water quality in and around the lake. Working across organisational boundaries and with local communities, who care so passionately, means we can make a big difference and drive forward the environmental improvements we all want to see.

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="620" height="388" src="https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-620x388.jpg" alt="Cliffs on the east Yorkshire coast at sunset ." class="wp-image-9239" srcset="https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-620x388.jpg 620w, https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-310x194.jpg 310w, https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-768x480.jpg 768w, https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-1536x960.jpg 1536w, https://environmentagency.blog.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/sites/84/2026/01/GettyImages-542962896-002-2048x1280.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 620px) 100vw, 620px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Credit: Danielrao via Getty Images</figcaption></figure> <p>From seaside towns to quiet rural stretches, England’s coastline is one of the country’s most valued assets. It is home to thriving communities, beautiful landscapes and vital infrastructure that we all rely on. But the coast is also one of the places where the impacts of climate change are being felt most clearly.</p> <p>Coastlines naturally change over time, but rising sea levels and more frequent storms are accelerating erosion and putting increasing numbers of people at risk. For some communities, these pressures are not a distant concern — they are being experienced right now.</p> <p>The National Coastal Erosion Risk Map developed by the Environment Agency shows that around 3,500 homes could be at risk of erosion by 2055, even with today’s coastal defences in place. Without the long-term actions set out in <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/shoreline-management-plans">Shoreline Management Plans</a>, that number could rise to 32,800.</p> <p>Even with plans implemented, by 2100, nearly 20,000 properties may still face erosion risk. Worryingly, one in six of these homes are in the country’s most deprived areas, meaning the impacts of coastal change fall disproportionately on those with the fewest resources.</p> <p>That is why the Environment Agency and Defra are launching a major new initiative — the £30m Coastal Adaptation Pilots — to help coastal communities plan ahead and prepare for a safer, more resilient future.</p> <p><strong>Why we need to plan ahead</strong></p> <p>We need to manage coastal change and not just resist it. That is why since 2022, the Environment Agency has managed the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/flood-and-coastal-resilience-innovation-programme#coastal-transition-accelerator-programme">Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme</a> (CTAP), working in partnership with communities such as East Riding of Yorkshire and North Norfolk. These projects have supported some of the most vulnerable communities to adapt and transition away from parts of the coast that cannot be defended in the long term.</p> <p>Through CTAP, projects have:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li>supported community-led plans for adapting to coastal change</li> <li>tested practical actions such as property adaptation and voluntary purchase</li> <li>built strong local partnerships and relationships</li> <li>generated valuable evidence about what works in practice</li> </ul> <p>The lessons from these projects are clear: planning early, rather than reacting in an emergency, reduces uncertainty, avoids disruption and saves money in the long run.</p> <p>The new Coastal Adaptation Pilots will build on these strong foundations, testing more advanced and innovative ideas while extending support to more communities at risk from coastal erosion.</p> <p><strong>Introducing the £30m Coastal Adaptation Pilots</strong></p> <p>The Coastal Adaptation Pilots will run from 2026 to 2029, supported by up to £30 million of government funding. The pilots will focus on three key aims: supporting the places facing the greatest erosion risk, testing practical solutions that communities can benefit from now, and building the evidence needed to shape future national policy and long-term funding.</p> <p>To do this, the funding is split into two strands, reflecting the fact that different communities are at different stages of readiness when it comes to coastal adaptation.</p> <p>Up to £18 million will be invested in advanced coastal adaptation in East Riding of Yorkshire, Suffolk and Norfolk— areas that face some of the highest levels of coastal erosion risk in the country.</p> <p>These places are well placed to act quickly. They have experienced teams, strong relationships with their communities and a solid evidence base built up over many years of monitoring and evaluation. This means they can hit the ground running, delivering practical, value-for-money actions over the next three years. In some locations, this could include selective property purchase where there is both community support and a clear benefit to the public purse.</p> <p>Alongside this, up to £12 million will support coastal adaptation readiness across England. This funding will be allocated through <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/regional-flood-and-coastal-committees-rfccs">Regional Flood and Coastal Committees (RFCCs),</a> based on the number of homes at highest risk of erosion in each area.</p> <p>This strand will help fund smaller, early-stage actions that can make a real difference on the ground. That could mean relocating or adapting community buildings and car parks, making minor changes to public infrastructure, creating temporary safe spaces for communities or nature in erosion zones, or testing new approaches such as early warning systems.</p> <p>All projects will be aligned with the strategic long term management approaches in the <a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/shoreline-management-plans">Shoreline Management Plans</a>.</p> <p>The lessons from these pilots will directly inform future coastal policy, helping create sustainable long‑term funding models and ensuring the latest science and evidence are fully reflected in local planning.</p> <p><strong>What happens next</strong></p> <p>Over the coming months, the Environment Agency will work closely with East Riding of Yorkshire, East Suffolk, Great Yarmouth and North Norfolk councils and the RFCCs to refine plans and prepare for delivery from 2026.</p> <p>By combining advanced adaptation with practical readiness actions, the Coastal Adaptation Pilots will help more communities take earlier, more confident steps towards a safer and more resilient future on our changing coast. Together, they will help coastal communities move from reacting to erosion impacts to planning ahead for a changing climate.</p> <p></p>

By Andy Brown, Water Regulation Manager North West Lake Windermere, Cumbria As we head into the festive season, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what's been an incredibly busy year for us at the Environment Agency, working alongside our partners to protect Windermere. It's easy to think of this stunning lake as just a beautiful Christmas card view – and it certainly is that – but there's so much more happening beneath the surface and around the shoreline. **Keeping watch on water quality** Our teams have been busy monitoring 66 sites across Windermere and its tributaries throughout 2025. Our live monitoring equipment is deployed in seven locations and each deployment gives us countless data points about oxygen levels, temperature and other important factors that tell us how healthy the lake is. Some of our monitoring sites have been collecting data since the mid-1970s –that's nearly 50 Christmases of information – helping us understand how the lake is changing and what we need to do to protect it. Our invertebrate surveys have been particularly encouraging. These tiny creatures are like nature's own quality checkers, and the incredible diversity we've recorded tells us that Windermere's tributaries are alive and thriving. **Keeping you informed and safe** This year, we launched a new dedicated webpage about blue-green algae to help you stay safe whilst enjoying the lake. Whether you're planning a Boxing Day dip or a summer swim, you can find the information you need to enjoy Windermere responsibly. We also carefully managed water abstraction during what turned out to be the warmest summer on record for the UK. Windermere gives us vital water supplies, and we work hard to balance community needs with protecting the lake. Lake Windermere, Cumbria **Our regulatory role** As the environmental regulator, we've carried out numerous site inspections across the catchment – checking in on United Utilities sites, private permit holders and farms. We take our role seriously because these checks can help prevent problems before they start and ensure everyone's doing their part to keep the lake healthy. Compliance Assessment Reports (CAR) forms can now be viewed online enabling the public to see how sites are performing (Defra Data Services Platform or Public Registers Online ) **Protecting precious species** Windermere is home to some truly special wildlife. Our Arctic charr species recovery project is a real comeback story – these rare Ice Age survivors are getting the helping hand they need to thrive again. We've also been protecting salmon through consultations on Net Limitation Orders and byelaws. And right now, it's redd counting season, where we count the nests that salmon and trout create for their eggs. As we celebrate Christmas, we're also celebrating new life and the next generation of fish in Windermere's waters. **Working together  ** We are working with others on an innovative and exciting feasibility study tasked with delivering options that result in only rainwater entering the lake, with sewage and highways runoff being removed. This study will present options in summer 2026. Finally, we support the Love Windermere Partnership that comprises nine organisations united in their goal to improve water quality across the catchment. As we close 2025 this ambition and our work will not stop. Thank you to everyone who's played a part in protecting Windermere this year. Here's to a healthy, thriving lake for generations to come.