Signal Farm runoff and untreated sewage lead UK river pollution

Summary

The report states that farm runoff and discharges of untreated sewage are the biggest sources of river pollution in the UK. A large share of the pollutants entering rivers in this way eventually reaches the sea. The report presents this as an illustration of how pollution crosses borders and boundaries. In the short term, cutting water pollution will require water companies to upgrade their infrastructure and existing rules to be properly enforced. Flooding driven by climate change also has to be managed, since floods cause pollution through sewage discharges. The report adds that air and water pollution threaten species such as lichens, frogs and otters.