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The Latest Breaking News from Environment Agency

Four areas of England now in drought as heat threatens wildlife and crops

Ministers call for hosepipe bans as East and West Midlands enter drought, joining Yorkshire and north-west

The Guardian - UK · Jul 15, 2025

Drought declared in East and West Midlands in driest start to year since 1976

Three further areas – Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, and Thames area – move into prolonged dry weather status.

Evening Standard · Jul 15, 2025

Drought declared in the Midlands with more hosepipe bans on the way

Millions more expected to enter ‘drought’ status by September

The Independent UK · Jul 15, 2025

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These are the UK areas where a new hosepipe ban is predicted by September

Three water companies have announced hosepipe bans following a record dry spring

The Independent UK · Jul 14, 2025

Up to five more regions could face drought this year, Environment Agency says

Modelling shows drought conditions could spread to the Midlands and central southern regions under the watchdog’s reasonable worst case scenario.

Evening Standard · Jul 14, 2025

Million more face hosepipe ban after dry spell

Thames Water has asked customers not to use hosepipes, including for cleaning cars, watering plants, filling pools or cleaning windows.

Evening Standard · Jul 14, 2025

Thames Water announces hosepipe ban affecting over a million people as reservoirs at lowest level for a decade

Water company said measure will be brought in for customers in Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, most of Wiltshire and some parts of Berkshire- but London escapes ban currently

Evening Standard · Jul 14, 2025

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Toxic Pfas above proposed safety limits in almost all English waters tested

Exclusive: 110 of 117 bodies of water tested by Environment Agency would fail standards, with levels in fish 322 times the planned limit

The Guardian - UK · Jul 11, 2025

Millions of households face hosepipe ban as one of UK’s biggest firms warns supplies are on the brink

The Environment Agency has declared parts of southeast England as in a period of ‘prolonged dry weather’ after low rainfall

The Independent UK · Jul 9, 2025

Environment Agency insider alleges ‘cover-up’ over sewage sludge on farmland

Regulator and government accused of colluding with water industry to dump potentially toxic waste without oversight

The Guardian - UK · Jul 9, 2025

Increased temperatures harming fish and wildlife in UK’s rivers

The Angling Trust said that river temperatures in England and Wales between March and June were the hottest since records began three years ago

The Independent UK · Jul 8, 2025

What is a hosepipe ban and what does it stop you from doing?

Millions more people are facing water restrictions in England after the second hosepipe ban of 2025 was announced following the driest spring for more than 100 years.

The Independent UK · Jul 8, 2025

‘Like fly-tipping’: ministers ignoring pleas to cut sludge fertiliser use

Exclusive: Defra warned three years ago of farmland contamination by water firms’ sewage-derived product

The Guardian - UK · Jul 8, 2025

Yorkshire households first to face hosepipe ban as hot dry summer bites

England has had the hottest spring and the driest for more than a century, with northern areas drought-stricken.

Evening Standard · Jul 8, 2025

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Evening Standard · Jul 8, 2025

Water regulator handed largest ever budget to tackle pollution

The Environment Agency will receive a cash injection of more than £189 million this financial year of 2025/26.

Evening Standard · Jul 8, 2025

Yorkshire Water to introduce hosepipe restrictions from Friday

The region has received less than half its expected rainfall in an average year.

The Guardian - UK · Jul 7, 2025

‘A Trojan horse’: how toxic sewage sludge became a threat to the future of British farming

Sludge used as fertiliser on farmland contains harmful chemicals that scientists suspect are entering food chain

The Independent UK · Jul 1, 2025

Hosepipe ban looms for millions of Yorkshire households

In mid-June Yorkshire became the second region in England to move into official drought status after the driest spring in 132 years

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The Independent UK · Jun 25, 2025

Operation to clean up 30,000 tonnes of waste dumped in woods gets under way

The dumping of the waste, some of which is hazardous, has been linked to organised crime.

The Independent UK · Jun 25, 2025

Hazardous waste among 30,000 tonnes of rubbish dumped in woods linked to organised crime

The illegal dumping has been described as an ‘environmental disaster’ by residents

The Guardian - UK · Jun 22, 2025

How England’s outdated water tracking system leaves regulators in the dark

Experts warn accurately monitoring consumption by bulk users such as farmers, datacentres and businesses can be all but impossible

The Guardian - UK · Jun 20, 2025

England’s rivers ‘under threat’ as water extraction surges to record levels

Exclusive: Investigation finds 76% rise in water taken from rivers and lakes for industrial or public consumption in two decades

The Independent UK · Jun 16, 2025

How deleting your old emails could help England avoid major water shortages

Data centres require a large amount of water for cooling processes, say the Environment Agency, which is urging people to help manage the pressure on them

The Independent UK · Jun 16, 2025

England faces ‘huge’ water shortages of 5bn litres a day by 2055, officials warn

Urgent action is needed to cut leaks, curb demand and build new water supply schemes, the Environment Agency warns.

The Independent UK · Jun 16, 2025

Flood defences to receive £7.9bn investment over next decade

Ministers said the money will be spent on rolling out high-performance flood barriers as well as nature-based solutions such as wetland restoration.

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