State of the water environment indicator B3: supporting evidence
Published 11 June 2021
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In the 25 Year Environment Plan, water theme indicators are:
- B1. Pollution loads entering waters
- B2. Serious pollution incidents to water
- B3. State of the water environment
- B4. Bathing waters
- B5. Water bodies achieving sustainable abstraction criteria
- B6. Naturalness of water
- B7. Health of freshwaters assessed through fish populations
Related indicators for water use, quantity and availability are:
- E8. Efficient use of water
- F3. Disruption or unwanted impacts caused by drought
Indicators within resilience to natural hazards are:
- F1. Disruption or unwanted impacts from flooding or coastal erosion
- F2. Communities resilient to flooding and coastal erosion
Indicators within managing exposure to chemicals are:
- H3. Emissions of mercury and persistent organic pollutants to the environment
- H4. Exposure and adverse effects of chemicals on wildlife in the environment
This evidence summary supports the B3 state of the water environment indicator.
State of the water environment in England: data summary
All surface waters
16% of assessed surface waters and 79% of individual tests achieve good ecological status.
Rivers
14% of assessed rivers are at good ecological status.
Biology
Fish: 42% at good status.
Invertebrates: 76% at good status.
Macrophytes and phytobenthos: 45% at good status.
Physical modification
Morphology: 49% at good status.
Flow regime: 88% at good status.
Water quality
Dissolved oxygen: 82% at good status.
Ammonia: 92% at good status.
Phosphorus: 45% at good status.
Hazardous substances
Chemical status: 0% at good status.
Chemical status excluding ubiquitous, persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic substances (uPBTs): 93% at good status.
Lakes
14% of assessed lakes are at good ecological status.
Biology
Phytoplankton: 52% at good status.
Macrophytes and phytobenthos: 29% at good status.
Physical modification
Morphology: 97% at good status.
Water quality
Total phosphorus: 25% at good status.
Total nitrogen: 45% at good status.
Hazardous substances
Chemical status: 0% at good status.
Chemical status excluding uPBTs: 100% at good status.
Estuaries
19% of assessed estuaries are at good ecological status.
Biology
Fish: 77% at good status.
Invertebrates: 67% at good status.
Saltmarsh: 36% at good status.
Seagrass: 90% at good status.
Eutrophication (combined assessment)
| Rating | Certain there is no problem | Uncertain there is a problem | Quite certain there is a problem | Very certain there is a problem | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 45% | 40% | 12% | 3% | 100% |
Hazardous substances
Chemical status: 0% at good status.
Chemical status excluding uPBTs: 92% at good status.
Coastal waters
45% of assessed coastal waters are at good ecological status.
Biology
Invertebrates: 87% at good status.
Saltmarsh: 50% at good status.
Seagrass: 83% at good status.
Eutrophication (combined assessment)
| Rating | Certain there is no problem | Uncertain there is a problem | Very certain there is a problem | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 63% | 35% | 2% | 100% |
Hazardous substances
Chemical status: 0% at good status.
Chemical status excluding uPBTs: 100% at good status.
Groundwater
Quantity: 73% at good status.
Quality: 45% at good status.
Drinking water protected areas
Surface water
52% not at risk of deterioration.
Groundwater
53% not at risk of deterioration.
Designated bathing waters
| Status | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 72% | 21% | 5% | 2% | 100% |
Shellfish waters
| Status | Pass | Fail | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 25% | 75% | 100% |
Protected nature sites
| Condition | Favourable | Unfavourable recovering | Unfavourable no change | Unfavourable declining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 46% | 47% | 4% | 3% | 100% |
About the data
Figures are percentages of water bodies assessed and where referred to as ‘at good status’ this is good or better status.
The 2019 water body classification data is published on data.gov.uk.
For other data contact enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk
Surface waters: ecological and chemical classification
Ecological status
Ecological status is assigned using various water, habitat and biological quality tests. Failure of any one individual test means that the whole water body fails to achieve good or better ecological status or potential (the ‘one out all out’ rule).
The ‘State of the water environment in England: data summary’ section shows data for each surface water type – representative elements that are tested to assess the condition of the water body, reflecting water quality and hydromorphology.
Ecological status is measured in 5 classes.
| Classification | Description | Percentage in status |
|---|---|---|
| High | Natural or almost natural state with no, or only minor evidence of distortion. | Less than 1% |
| Good | Slight change from natural state as a result of human impact. | 16% |
| Moderate | Moderate change from natural state as a result of human impact. | 63% |
| Poor | Major change from natural state as a result of human activity. | 17% |
| Bad | Severe change from natural state as a result of human activity. | 3% |
2019 classification results show surface water ecological status has remained stable and 16% of surface water bodies achieve good or better ecological status or potential, the same as in 2016.
Chemical status
Chemical status is calculated by assessing 52 different chemical elements (individual and groups of chemicals). Water bodies are classified as good or failing.
For 2019 chemical classifications, new assessments for uPBTs were included, as well as new standards, improved techniques and methods.
This resulted in 0% surface water bodies meeting the criteria for achieving good chemical status in 2019, compared to 97% pass in 2016.
If we exclude the new assessments for uPBTs then only 6.2% of surface water bodies fail the chemical tests and 93.8% pass.
Current data is shown as ‘Hazardous substances’ in the ‘State of the water environment in England: data summary’ section. This shows the water body results for rivers, lakes, estuaries and coasts for chemical status with and without the uPBTs.
The 2019 water body classification data is published on data.gov.uk.
Groundwater: quantitative and chemical classification
Quantitative status
73% of assessed groundwater bodies met good quantitative status in 2019.
| Status | Good | Poor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 73% | 27% | 100% |
Chemical status
45% of assessed groundwater bodies met good chemical status in 2019.
| Status | Good | Poor | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 45% | 55% | 100% |
Substances causing failure for 2019 across all tests and groundwater bodies
| Substance | Test failure figure |
|---|---|
| Nitrate | 108 |
| Orthophosphate | 36 |
| Copper | 35 |
| Chloride | 35 |
| Zinc | 34 |
| Sulphate | 34 |
| Iron | 34 |
| Manganese | 33 |
| Nickel | 22 |
| Ammoniacal nitrogen | 14 |
| Solvents | 12 |
| Lead | 11 |
| Electrical conductivity | 9 |
| Aluminium | 9 |
| Pesticides | 8 |
| Cadmium | 8 |
| Arsenic | 8 |
| Boron | 6 |
| Sodium | 3 |
| Other metals | 2 |
| Mecoprop | 2 |
| Hydrocarbons | 2 |
| Bromate | 2 |
| Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) | 1 |
| Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) | 1 |
| Fluoride | 1 |
| Chromium | 1 |
| Antimony | 1 |
Groundwater classification status and objectives data is published on data.gov.uk.
Drinking water protected areas (DrWPAs)
Reservoirs, lakes, rivers and groundwater, from which raw water is abstracted for human consumption, meeting the Water Environment (Water Framework Directive) (England and Wales) Regulations 2017 criteria are identified as DrWPAs.
Safeguard zones, which can cover more than one DrWPA and more than one pollutant type, are established when raw water quality is deteriorating, or is likely to deteriorate in the future. In other words, when it is ‘at risk of deterioration’. Measures aiming to avoid deterioration, reducing the level of water treatment required to produce drinking water, are set out in safeguard zone action plans.
Surface water
There are 485 surface water DrWPAs.
There are 234 at risk of deterioration.
There are 144 surface water safeguard zones.
Reasons for establishing surface water safeguard zones:
- pesticides: 43%
- sediment: 30%
- algae: 19%
- nitrate: 4%
- microbiology: 3%
- other: 1%
Groundwater
There are 271 groundwater DrWPAs.
There are 127 at risk of deterioration.
There are 254 groundwater safeguard zones.
Reasons for establishing groundwater safeguard zones:
- nitrate: 80%
- pesticides: 9%
- solvents: 8%
- microbiology: 2%
- sediment: less than 1%
- other: less than 1%
European protected nature sites for water and wetlands
Underlying SSSI unit condition by habitat
Rivers
| Condition | Favourable | Unfavourable recovering | Unfavourable no change | Unfavourable declining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 10.3% | 59.1% | 28.7% | 1.8% | 100% |
Lakes
| Condition | Favourable | Unfavourable recovering | Unfavourable no change | Unfavourable declining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 61.5% | 19.2% | 13.9% | 5.4% | 100% |
Estuaries and coasts
| Condition | Favourable | Unfavourable recovering | Unfavourable no change | Unfavourable declining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 61.2% | 32.9% | 2.4% | 3.5% | 100% |
Wetlands
| Condition | Favourable | Unfavourable recovering | Unfavourable no change | Unfavourable declining | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage | 14.8% | 79% | 4% | 2.2% | 100% |
Condition change: all SSSI units underlying water-dependent habitats
Favourable:
- 245,562 hectares (ha)
- 46%
Unfavourable recovering:
- 250,144ha
- 47%
Unfavourable no change:
- 22,973ha
- 4%
Unfavourable declining:
- 17,093ha
- 3%
About the data
This data on European protected nature sites for water and wetlands:
- includes rivers, lakes, wetlands, estuaries and coasts, and other water-dependent habitats
- includes sites designated for birds that may be in favourable condition without assessment of water quality
- excludes adverse condition reasons that are unrelated to Water Framework Directive drivers
- was retrieved in December 2019
- is a bespoke data analysis, not a published dataset
For further information contact Natural England.
Key issues and sectors affecting water bodies in England
| Sector | Physical modifications | Pollution from waste water | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Changes to natural flow and levels of water | Non-native invasive species | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from abandoned mines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 12.9% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1.3% | 40% | ||
| Industry | 1.9% | 0.5% | 3.4% | 0.4% | |||
| Mining and quarrying | 0.1% | 0.1% | 3.2% | ||||
| Navigation | 1.9% | 0.1% | |||||
| Urban and transport | 10.9% | 0.6% | 10.1% | ||||
| Water industry | 7.9% | 35% | 0.8% | 9.8% | |||
| Local and central government | 14.3% | 0.2% | 0.2% | ||||
| Domestic general public | 0.3% | 1.1% | 6.4% | ||||
| Recreation | 2.9% | 0.2% | 0.1% | ||||
| Waste treatment and disposal | 0.1% | 0.3% | |||||
| No sector responsible | 0.1% | 0.1% | 23% |
Percentage of water bodies impacted by each issue
| Issue | Percentage of water bodies impacted |
|---|---|
| Physical modifications | 41% |
| Pollution from waste water | 36% |
| Pollution from towns, cities and transport | 18% |
| Changes to natural flow and levels of water | 15% |
| Non-native invasive species | 23% |
| Pollution from rural areas | 40% |
| Pollution from abandoned mines | 3% |
Percentage of water bodies impacted by each sector
| Sector | Percentage of water bodies impacted |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | 45% |
| Industry | 6% |
| Mining and quarrying | 3% |
| Navigation | 2% |
| Urban and transport | 18% |
| Water industry | 44% |
| Local and central government | 14% |
| Domestic general public | 8% |
| Recreation | 3% |
| Waste treatment and disposal | 0.3% |
| No sector responsible | 23% |
Sectors and challenges preventing good water quality in England
Most of the data used to produce the tables in the ‘Key issues and sectors affecting water bodies in England’ section are taken from the 2019 set of probable and confirmed reasons for not achieving good status (RNAGs), linked to 2016 WFD classifications. This is with the exception of the following.
-
Changes to the natural flows and levels of water. The data are for those water bodies that do not have sustainable levels of abstractions. The sector contributions include suspected, probable and confirmed RNAGs.
-
Invasive non-native species. This uses Environment Agency monitoring data and are for water bodies that have specific invasive non-native species present which we consider to be contributing to the water body not achieving good ecological status.
‘No sector responsible’ covers those situations where it is not possible to assign the failure to achieve good status to the activities of a specific sector. We have used this category mainly for invasive non-native species. Whilst the speed of their spread can be increased by poor practice, it is not possible to say whether their presence in a particular water body is ‘natural’ or due to someone’s actions.
Around 6% of water bodies have one or more RNAGs where the sector responsible is still under investigation. Around 5% of water bodies have one or more RNAGs caused by a different sector to those listed in the table. These are mainly where the issue is physical modification.