Research and analysis

State of the water environment indicator B3: supporting evidence

This evidence summary supports the 25 Year Environment Plan and its outcome indicator framework.

Applies to England

Documents

State of the water environment indicator B3: supporting evidence (presentation version)

Request an accessible format.
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need a version of this document in a more accessible format, please email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk. Please tell us what format you need. It will help us if you say what assistive technology you use.

Details

Clean and plentiful water is one of the important goals in the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. In order to understand the condition of the water environment, as part of the outcome indicator framework we measure and report data on the state of the water environment (B3).

The water environment is complex and interlinked, with many different aspects playing an important part in the quality and quantity of water ecosystems and habitats. This evidence summary supports the B3 state of the water environment indicator.

You can get more information on water quality in England through the data we publish:

Published 11 June 2021
Last updated 22 May 2023 + show all updates
  1. Updated the B3 supporting evidence content. Removed reference to indicators F1 and F2 removed as Defra now lead on these. Added a reference to indicator J5. Linked to how to access information in the 2022 river basin management plans. Added a link to the catchment data explorer. Added a section 'new monitoring approach and data for future reporting'. Updated the data in the following sections: 'State of the water environment in England: data summary', 'Groundwater: ecological and chemical classification', 'Drinking water protected areas', 'European protected nature sites for water and wetlands'.

  2. Added the document 'State of the water environment: long-term trends in river quality in England'.

  3. First published.