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Environment Agency

How the Environment Agency monitors and tests bathing water quality

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Cleaner Seas, Environment Agency, Water
Many parts of the UK's coastline are used for bathing and leisure.

Today (15 May) marks the start of this year’s bathing water season. Between now and the end of September, millions of people will head to bathing waters to relax and swim.   Following Defra’s recent announcement of 27 new bathing waters, …

Working in partnership to enhance approaches to surface water risk management

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Environment Agency, Flood, Flood Maintenance, Flood Planning

In recent years, record rainfall events nationally and internationally have served to underline the threat of surface water flooding, particularly to our cities and urban areas, writes Caroline Douglass, Environment Agency Executive Director of Flood and Coastal Risk Management. Examples …

Reducing methane emissions to help combat climate change

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Climate change, Environment Agency, Regulated industry

The Environment Agency has set out in one place what it is doing to help reduce methane emissions in England, bringing together all their work in a new Methane Action Plan (2024-26). Mark Ellis-Jones, the national Climate Change and Energy …

Farming rules for water: The importance of Nutrient Management Planning in farming

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: agriculture, Environment Agency, Regulated industry, Sustainability

Following last week’s blog about soil testing, we’re now looking at another area where we often find issues during a farm inspection – nutrient management planning. Around 30% of farms we inspected last year weren’t able to provide evidence of …

New research project launched by the Environment Agency to monitor saltmarsh’s carbon capture and storage

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Climate change, Environment Agency, Flood, Water

The Environment Agency (EA) is part of a new research project that will monitor saltmarshes across the UK.  Saltmarsh plays a significant role in mitigating climate change by absorbing and storing greenhouse gasses in their plants and sediments. As well …

Farming Rules for Water: The vital role of soil testing

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: agriculture, Environment Agency, Regulated industry, Water
It's vital that farmers test their soil

Established by Defra in 2018, the Farming Rules for Water (FRfW) were introduced to reduce and prevent diffuse water pollution from agricultural sources. They are applicable to all farmers and land managers across England and work to safeguard water quality …

Working towards a cleaner Wharfe – a closer look at water quality testing at Ilkley’s bathing water

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Environment Agency, Sustainability, Water
The image shows a photograph of the River Wharfe at Cromwheel, with a view to the suspension bridge across the river.

In December 2020, a stretch of the River Wharfe at Cromwheel, Ilkley, in Yorkshire was designated a bathing water by Defra,the first section of a river in the country to become a bathing water. Yorkshire’s Bathing Waters lead Claire Campbell …

The Environment Agency’s role in Biodiversity Net Gain

Posted by: , Posted on: - Categories: Climate change, Environment Agency, Sustainability
The Environment Agency supports Biodiversity Net Gain

Did you know there are more than 242,000km of watercourses in England?   Our rivers, lakes, ponds, estuaries, and wetlands cut across and connect many landscapes, providing natural corridors for wildlife and supporting a wealth of biodiversity. However, our nation’s wildlife …