Although there has been some debate as to the severity of the water pollution in England, perhaps you should think twice before taking a dip in your local river.
At least 40% of England’s rivers have been heavily polluted with sewage in recent years, according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). It should come as no surprise then, that the number of rivers in England granted a ‘good’ ecological status has decreased from 27% in 2010 to just 14%. This is a reflection of not just water levels but the amount of sewage and farm pollution present in a river. Increasing levels of pollution can cause algal blooms which will lower the oxygen concentrations in rivers, killing all the fish. This also affects dependant species such as kingfishers and otters that feed upon those fish. The negative impacts of river pollution are not limited to animals, they can affect humans too. The greater presence of pathogens in the water can cause illness and diseases such as septicaemia and hepatitis A. Check out this article in the Guardian that caught our eye last winter
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