Precious chalk streams and rivers polluted by mining are among the water bodies that have been branded the worst in England following six years of extensive research by the Environment Agency (EA).
On Thursday the EA published its latest classifications for England’s 4,658 surface water bodies, which includes rivers, lakes, estuaries and groundwater.
These water bodies are split into five categories: high, good, moderate, poor or bad.
Just 14.3 per cent were found to be at least good ecological health, while none were found to be in good chemical health.
These classifications are published every six years and are based on a range of factors, including fish and invertebrate populations, as well as nutrient and chemical pollution.
