How clean are UK rivers?

It cannot cope with the combined problems of increasing population, urbanisation and climate change. In 2022 there were over 389,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers, totalling over 2.4 million hours of pollution. The UK is consistently ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality.



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Sewage spills and agricultural pollution are the leading causes of dirty rivers. And the latest figures are alarming: only 14% of England's rivers are classified as being of 'good' ecological status, according to a government report published in January 2022.

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The Cleanest Rivers In The World – The Thames River (London) Surprisingly, securing the top spot for the cleanest river in the world, one of London's pride and joy is the neat elegance of the Thames River. Amidst the dense population of London's busy streets, the waters of Thames River was kept sparklingly spotless.

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The Mississippi River This once pristine waterway is perhaps the most polluted in the United States. Part of the problem stems from agriculture. The Mississippi River traverses much of America's heartland, drawing no end of runoff from factory farms. Animal waste isn't the only problem.

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Rebecca Thiele. The White River from the Indianapolis Art Center's ArtsPark. Indiana has the most miles of rivers and streams deemed too polluted to swim in of any state. Indiana has the most polluted rivers and streams of any state.

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In 2022 there were over 389,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers, totalling over 2.4 million hours of pollution. The UK is consistently ranked as one of the worst countries in Europe for water quality.

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The Thames is actually one of the cleanest rivers in the world with sharks living in it - here's why it looks so brown and dirty.

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