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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Unearthed @unearthednews.bsky.social · Jul 24

NEW: The Environment Agency has been forced to cancel thousands of water pollution tests over the past three months due to staff shortages

Joint investigation by @unearthednews.bsky.social and @desmog.com out today

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/07/24/e...

EA staff shortages hit water quality testing

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Clare Carlile @clarecarlile.bsky.social · Jul 24

🔴 10k water quality tests have been cut by the UK's environmental regulator since May, designed to monitor the impacts of sewage, farm runoff and other pollution on rivers & lakes

✍️with the brill @ellieodonnell.bsky.social for @desmog.com & @unearthednews.bsky.social
www.desmog.com/2025/07/23/s...

Staff Shortages Have Forced Major Cuts to Environment Agency Water Quality Monitoring, Internal Documents Reveal

This investigation was published in partnership with Unearthed and the BBC The Environment Agency (EA) has dropped 10,000 water quality tests from its work to ensure the health of England’s rivers and...

www.desmog.com

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jul 24

And reported on the BBC:

Thousands of pollution tests cancelled due to lack of staff

Testing programmes affected include those monitoring the impact of drought.

www.bbc.co.uk

Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jul 24

This story was in collaboration with @desmog.com

Staff Shortages Have Forced Major Cuts to Environment Agency Water Quality Monitoring, Internal Documents Reveal

This investigation was published in partnership with Unearthed and the BBC The Environment Agency (EA) has dropped 10,000 water quality tests from its work to ensure the health of England’s rivers and...

www.desmog.com

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jul 24

The Environment Agency has dropped 10,000 water quality tests that track the health of rivers and lakes due to staff shortages at their main lab. Latest from me and
@clarecarlile.bsky.social

EA staff shortages hit water quality testing

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

DeSmog @desmog.com · Jul 24

🔴 NEW - Staff Shortages Have Forced Major Cuts to Environment Agency Water Quality Monitoring, Internal Docs Reveal

Conservationists warn that cancellation of thousands of tests since May will leave a “regulatory and ecological blind spot”

📝 @clarecarlile.bsky.social & @ellieodonnell.bsky.social

Staff Shortages Have Forced Major Cuts to Environment Agency Water Quality Monitoring, Internal Documents Reveal

This investigation was published in partnership with Unearthed and the BBC The Environment Agency (EA) has dropped 10,000 water quality tests from its work to ensure the health of England’s rivers and...

www.desmog.com

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Unearthed @unearthednews.bsky.social · Jun 10

Water companies are worried about a “backlash” to sludge fertiliser akin to the public outrage they have faced over sewage released into rivers and seas

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Crispin Dowler @crispindowler.bsky.social · Jun 10

Unearthed obtained an internal Environment Agency briefing which warned that farmers could stop accepting sewage sludge on their land due to rising concern about contaminants

It says this would have "very serious consequences" as water companies have no "Plan B" for the sludge they produce

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Great piece on the BBC today too by @jonahfisher.bsky.social

Warning over 'dirty secret' of toxic chemicals on farmers fields

Campaigners say that farmers' fields are being contaminated by chemicals and microplastics in sewage sludge.

www.bbc.co.uk

Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

See the documents we obtained and more ⬇️

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Dealing with this crisis could push water companies’ costs into the billions — and that may mean unplanned rises in household water bills before 2030 6/6

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Another briefing we obtained said that there could be “very serious consequences” as the water industry has “no immediate ‘Plan B’” for the sludge it generates 5/6

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Five years on - water companies fear that tightening pollution rules could mean they’re left with “3.4 million wet tonnes” of sludge with nowhere to go, documents obtained under FOI laws show 4/6

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

People are worried that this could be harming farmland, ever since Unearthed uncovered a secret Environment Agency (EA) report showing that this sludge contained a cocktail of toxic contaminants like microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’ 3/6

Secret report details toxic chemicals in sewage used as fertiliser at English farms

The Environment Agency found sewage sludge destined for English fields was contaminated with microplastics, weedkiller, and “persistent organic pollutants”

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Sewage sludge is the poo and other solids left behind after sewage is treated. Right now around 90% of the UK’s sludge is spread on farmland, where it is used as fertiliser to help crops grow 2/6

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

New investigation out today!

We’ve learned that water companies are freaking out about the prospect of a government crackdown on agricultural pollution. Why? Because it could stop them dumping millions of tonnes of sewage sludge on the fields that grow our food

with @zdboren.bsky.social

1/6 👇

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Dealing with this crisis could push water companies’ costs into the billions — and that may mean unplanned rises in household water bills before 2030.

Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Another briefing we obtained said that there could be “very serious consequences” as the water industry has “no immediate ‘Plan B’” for the sludge it generates.

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Five years on - water companies fear that tightening pollution rules could mean they’re left with “3.4 million wet tonnes” of sludge with nowhere to go, documents obtained under FOI laws show

1

Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

There is rising concern that this could be harming farmland, ever since Unearthed uncovered a secret Environment Agency (EA) report showing that this sludge contained a cocktail of toxic contaminants like microplastics and ‘forever chemicals’. unearthed.greenpeace.org/2020/02/04/s...

Secret report details toxic chemicals in sewage used as fertiliser at English farms

The Environment Agency found sewage sludge destined for English fields was contaminated with microplastics, weedkiller, and “persistent organic pollutants”

unearthed.greenpeace.org

1

Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Sewage sludge is the poo and other solids left behind after sewage is treated. Right now around 90% of the UK’s sludge is spread on farmland, where it is used as fertiliser to help crops grow.

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Emma Howard @emmahoward.bsky.social · Jun 10

This is a really important & quite shocking, investigation.

The water industry is worried that in just 3 years time it may have nowhere to send millions of tonnes of sludge.

Sludge is spread on farms but there are now concerning levels of PFAS in it.

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Ellie O'Donnell @ellieodonnell.bsky.social · Jun 10

Water companies are panicking that they could be left with a mountain of sludge with ‘nowhere to go’

Latest from me and @zdboren.bsky.social

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...

Also on the BBC: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Zach Boren @zdboren.bsky.social · Jun 10

water comanies are freaking out that they're about to have millions of tonnes of toxic sewage sludge with 'nowhere to go'

my latest for @unearthednews.bsky.social

with @ellieodonnell.bsky.social

unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/06/09/s...

‘No Plan B’: Water companies fear pollution crackdown will stop them spreading sewage sludge on farmland

unearthed.greenpeace.org

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Reposted by Ellie O'Donnell

Unearthed @unearthednews.bsky.social · May 14

🚨 REVEALED: An Unearthed investigation has found major brands continued to promote environmental claims months or years after they were ruled “misleading” by the UK ad watchdog: unearthed.greenpeace.org/2025/05/14/m...

A Virgin Atlantic plane lands in New York; the company is one of five that have apparently continued to promote environmental claims that were ruled "misleading" by the Advertising Standards Authority. Photo: Charly Triballeau / AFP via Getty Images

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