Crap Towns / Manchester / Pollution incidents
How often does Manchester get polluted?
13 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Manchester or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 70th most of the 948 English towns that have had one. The most recent came in July 2026 and put commercial waste and specific waste material on the land. Household waste turned up in 5 of them.
| When | What | Where | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | Commercial waste and specific waste material | On the land | Significant |
| April 2023 | Unidentified oil | In the water | Significant |
| September 2022 | Organic chemical or product | In the water | Significant |
| October 2021 | An unidentified pollutant | In the water | Significant |
| September 2020 | An unidentified pollutant | On the land | Significant |
| September 2019 | Cutting oils, diesel, lubricating oils, metal wastes, waste oil, petrol, tyres and vehicle parts | On the land | Significant |
| July 2019 | Building rubble and household waste | On the land | Significant |
| January 2019 | Commercial waste, building rubble, household waste, metal wastes, composites, general biodegradable material or waste and smoke | On the land and in the air | Significant |
| December 2018 | An unidentified pollutant | On the land | Significant |
| April 2018 | Household waste | On the land | Significant |
| March 2018 | Household waste | On the land | Significant |
| January 2018 | Household waste | On the land | Significant |
| July 2016 | Lubricating oils and waste oil | In the water and on the land | Significant |
| Town | Distance | Serious incidents since 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | – | 13 |
| Droylsden | 4.2 km | 5 |
| Failsworth | 4.8 km | 5 |
| Audenshaw | 5.4 km | 4 |
| Denton | 6.7 km | 4 |
| Salford | 5.3 km | 4 |
| Chadderton | 7.6 km | 3 |
| Old Trafford | 6.8 km | 2 |
| Prestwich | 7.3 km | 1 |
| Stretford | 7.1 km | 1 |