Environmental investigative journalism nonprofit

Unmonitored toxic road runoff polluting rivers

A toxic cocktail of damaging chemicals created by road pollution is flowing into England’s rivers and no regulator is monitoring the scale of its impact on wildlife or public health.

More than 18,000 outfalls, such as pipes, and about 7,700 soakaways managed by National Highways discharge rainwater potentially contaminated with heavy metals, hydrocarbons, microplastics and other chemicals from the main road network into rivers and on to land.

Help Fund Us

You can help us do more of this work by donating to WATERSHED. We use Gift Aid to help maximise whatever amount you’re able to donate.

Support Our Work

Our work has been published in: