How Northumbrian Water is tackling river pollution with AI

UK rivers are in poor health. From plastic bottles, carrier bags and wet wipes clogging up waterways, to sewage overflows, microplastics and chemicals seeping into the water, they are drowning in pollution.

According to the State of Our Rivers Report 2024 from The Rivers Trust, there isn’t a single stretch of river in England or Northern Ireland that’s in good overall health. The two biggest contributors to river pollution are the agricultural and water sectors. In England, 62% of river stretches failed the health check due to pollution from fertiliser or livestock; while 54% failed because of activities attributed to the water industry, including treated and untreated sewage discharge.

Data gaps

While The Rivers Trust is certain that UK rivers require a huge clean-up, a lack of data means it’s less certain of how to approach this task. It notes:

More data is needed to truly understand ...