The Environment Agency has now published its Annual Report of water pollution incidents in 1998. As this is often taken as an indication of the focus of enforcement action by the Agency in the future, the figures bear some consideration.
In total, there were 17,863 substantiated incidents investigated by the Agency which represented a decrease of 9% on the previous year. The number of major incidents also fell to 128 which is the lowest number since records began.
Whilst the number of pollution incidents from industrial and sewage related sources had also decreased there was a rise in the proportion of water pollution incidents involving oil and fuel. Pollution incidents arising from the construction industry accounted for the largest proportion of all industrial incidents.
