Report an environmental incident

You need to call the Environment Agency incident hotline to report:

  • collapsed or badly damaged river banks
  • damage or danger to the natural environment
  • dead fish or fish gasping for air
  • flooding from main rivers or the sea
  • people taking water illegally from rivers, streams, canals or underground sources such as wells
  • incidents at Environment Agency-regulated waste sites
  • main rivers blocked by a vehicle or fallen tree causing risk of flooding
  • poaching or illegal fishing
  • pollution to water or land
  • unusual changes in river flow

Environment Agency incident hotline
Telephone: 0800 80 70 60
24-hour service
Find out about call charges

Read guidance on how the Environment Agency will assess and prioritise any incident you report.

There’s a different way to make a complaint about the Environment Agency.

Report waste crime

You can report waste crime anonymously to Crimestoppers, such as dumping large amounts of waste illegally.

Crimestoppers
Report crime online
Telephone: 0800 555 111
24-hour service
Find out about call charges

Incidents you should report to local councils and utility companies

For the following incidents, see the separate guidance to find out whether you should notify your local council or the utility company to:

If you’re in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

Wales

Report the incident to Natural Resources Wales.

Scotland

Report the incident to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.

Northern Ireland

Report polluted land and water or waste crimes to the Northern Ireland Environment Agency.

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