The BBC's first comprehensive assessment of England's waterways in six years found only about 15% of rivers are in good ecological condition and fewer than 7% of lakes reached that level, while no waterbody passed a separate chemical pollution test. Data from the Environment Agency shows phosphate is the single biggest problem, with around half of rivers still exceeding safe levels. Despite a record 22 billion pounds earmarked for water company environmental improvements by 2030, the overall picture has changed little since 2019. The Office for Environmental Protection says the government is on course to miss its legally binding target of restoring 77% of waters to good status by 2027 and is investigating both the government and the Environment Agency for possible rule breaches. Environment Secretary Angela Eagle said the figures underline the need for wholesale change and pointed to new laws to hold water companies to account. The Environment Agency cautioned this year's lake results largely reflect a change in assessment methods, and its chair Alan Lovell said the agency is transforming enforcement with its largest ever workforce. Prof Penny Johnes of the University of Bristol said the monitoring scheme is not fit for purpose, measuring too few pollutants too infrequently and missing substances such as nitrogen that drive rivers' decline, while campaigner Erica Popplewell warned intensive poultry units are a growing source of runoff and eutrophication.
