Report water pollution in England

Use this service to report water pollution in:

• rivers or the sea
• lakes or reservoirs
• canals
• smaller streams or watercourses (for example, a brook or culvert)  

Water pollution can include:

• sewage
• waste, spills or leaks from farms
• waste, spills or leaks from factories or other industry
• spills or leaks from objects 

There’s a different way to:

• report water pollution in Scotland
• report water pollution in Wales
• report water pollution in Northern Ireland

Before you start 

You’ll need to know:

• where the pollution is
• when you noticed it

You’ll need to give the location of the pollution, either by describing where it is or using the map in the service.

You only need to give your personal details if you’re happy to be contacted for more information.

You’ll need to give an email address if you want either to:

• send photos
• get a reference number

You cannot use this service to report rubbish in water. Report this to your local council.

Report water pollution

Report water pollution by phone

If you cannot use the online service, you can call the Environment Agency.

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

After you’ve reported the problem

The Environment Agency will review your report and decide if any action is needed.

You will not get updates on your report.

Report other environmental problems

How you report a different environmental problem depends on the type of problem and where it is. You may have to report it to:

• the Environment Agency
• your local council
• your utilities company

Find out how to report an environmental problem.