The Environment Agency is investigating oily pollution in Bristol’s River Avon and says contamination linked to former tar works is a likely source, though more work is needed. Residents report dead wildlife; the agency says impacts are minor, with no wider effects found for now.
Nicola Irvine said she first saw a rainbow film and acrid smell in early 2025 and reported it in July. She said the EA initially attributed the substance to surface runoff, but reopened its investigation in May 2026 after she sent more photos, including of dead wildlife. Irvine said she could not prove the pollution caused the deaths she witnessed.
The EA classed the Avon incident as category three, saying impacts were limited to where contamination enters the watercourse. A leaked 2022 internal report told staff to ignore lower-impact category three and four reports because of limited investigation funding. Wessex Water said its assets had no issues and the substance did not pass through its sewer network; Bristol City Council said it provided records and officers visited the site. The EA is also investigating a separate incident at nearby Brislington Brook, where volunteers reported dead fish and eels, foam and an intense chemical smell.
