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

Crap Towns / Norwich / Pollution incidents

How often does Norwich get polluted?

25 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Norwich or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 21st most of the 948 English towns that have had one. 4 were major, the worst kind. The most recent came in August 2026 and put an unidentified pollutant in the water. Algae turned up in 2 of them.

The incidents
WhenWhatWhereImpact
August 2026An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
July 2026Storm sewageIn the waterSignificant
July 2026Urban run-offIn the waterMajor
September 2025PaintIn the waterSignificant
November 2023An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
August 2023MicrobiologicalIn the waterSignificant
June 2023An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
May 2023SludgeIn the waterSignificant
March 2023SludgeIn the waterSignificant
February 2023HydrocarbonsOn the landSignificant
August 2022AlgaeIn the waterSignificant
August 2021Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
July 2021AlgaeIn the waterSignificant
December 2020Fuel oilIn the waterSignificant
November 2020Crude sewageIn the waterSignificant
July 2020NoiseIn the airSignificant
July 2019Storm sewageIn the waterMajor
October 2018An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
July 2018An unidentified pollutantIn the waterMajor
July 2018An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
July 2018An unidentified pollutantIn the waterMajor
July 2018Firefighting run-off and smokeIn the airSignificant
October 2017An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
July 2017An unidentified pollutantIn the waterSignificant
March 2016Suspended solidsIn the waterSignificant
Nearby towns
TownDistanceSerious incidents since 2016
Norwich–25
Attleborough23.0 km17
Dereham23.2 km1
Hethersett8.0 km1
North Walsham21.2 km1
Poringland8.3 km1