Written questions

Inland Waterways: Pollution

Commons · Question 90531 · Tabled 12 Nov 2025 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record

Answered 24 Nov 2025

Question

Asked by Charlotte Cane

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether her Department plans to monitor levels of pharmaceutical pollution in waterways.

Answer

Answered by Emma Hardy, 24 Nov 2025

The Environment Agency (EA) routinely monitors for over 100 pharmaceuticals within rivers using semi-quantitative methods that are routinely updated as new risks are identified by the EA's Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS). The EA works with ...