National Rivers Authority: River Pollution from Farms in England (House of Commons Paper)

The risk of river pollution from agriculture has increased over the last 50 years as farming practices have intensified.

The storage and disposal of increasing amounts of both animal waste and silage liquors, and the use of pesticides and fertilisers, present significant risks to river water quality.

For this report, the National Audit Office examined: the extent to which the National Rivers Authority has taken action against farm polluters and recovered the costs of cleaning up and restoring rivers in England; and the effectiveness of the efforts of the National Rivers Authority to reduce and prevent river pollution from farms in England.