Crap TownsBritain's towns, rated by the people stuck in them

Crap Towns / Bradford / Pollution incidents

How often does Bradford get polluted?

51 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Bradford or within 1 km of it since 2016, the 5th most of the 948 English towns that have had one. 4 were major, the worst kind. The most recent came in June 2026 and put soil and clay in the water. Suspended solids turned up in 9 of them.

The incidents
WhenWhatWhereImpact
June 2026Soil and clayIn the waterSignificant
June 2026Soil and clayIn the waterSignificant
May 2026SmokeOn the land and in the airSignificant
May 2026An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
April 2026SmokeOn the land and in the airSignificant
April 2026Contaminated waterIn the waterSignificant
March 2026General biodegradable material or wasteIn the waterSignificant
March 2026MinewaterIn the waterSignificant
December 2025Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
June 2025Commercial waste, building rubble, household waste and tyresOn the landSignificant
January 2025Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
November 2024An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
November 2024Waste oilIn the waterSignificant
October 2024Fuel oilIn the waterSignificant
September 2024An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
May 2024Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
April 2024DetergentIn the waterSignificant
April 2024Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
October 2023Contaminated waterIn the waterSignificant
October 2023Chemical odourIn the airSignificant
September 2023OdourIn the airSignificant
August 2023OdourIn the airSignificant
July 2023OdourIn the airSignificant
June 2023OdourIn the airSignificant
February 2023Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
January 2023Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
November 2022Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
November 2022Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
August 2022OdourIn the airSignificant
July 2022OdourIn the airSignificant
June 2022OdourIn the airSignificant
June 2022Mineral materials and wastesIn the waterSignificant
September 2021OdourIn the airSignificant
August 2021OdourIn the airSignificant
July 2021Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
July 2021OdourIn the airSignificant
December 2020Soil and clayIn the waterSignificant
November 2020Smoke and tyresIn the water, on the land and in the airMajor
April 2020An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
January 2020Building rubbleOn the landSignificant
September 2019Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
September 2019Soil and clayIn the waterMajor
September 2019Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
August 2019Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
May 2019Household waste and smokeOn the land and in the airSignificant
March 2019Mineral materials and wastesIn the waterSignificant
August 2018Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
October 2017Soil and clayIn the waterMajor
August 2017Crude sewageOn the landSignificant
January 2017PaintIn the waterMajor
October 2016Soil and clayIn the waterSignificant
Nearby towns
TownDistanceSerious incidents since 2016
Bradford–51
Pudsey5.9 km40
Gomersal and Birkenshaw6.3 km11
Cleckheaton8.1 km10
Shipley4.3 km7
Thornton5.3 km7
Baildon6.1 km5
Bingley8.0 km3
Drighlington8.0 km2
Queensbury6.6 km2
Shelf and Northowram7.1 km2