Half of the water samples taken in rivers across the UK have been found to breach a critical pollution limit, it can be revealed. Taken between July 2024 and July 2025, the samples show that 49.9 per cent surpassed the level at which nitrate pollution is considered ecologically harmful. The figure was 45.9 per cent in 2023/24 and 43.8 per cent in 2022/23. • Water companies and councils blamed for deepening housing crisisNitrates in waterways typically come from sewage works and farmers’ fields, where they are applied in fertilisers. It’s known as a nutrient pollutant, and excessive amounts are bad news because they create algal blooms that choke fish and other aquatic life.

Source: The Times March 03, 2026 16:51 UTC