Crap Towns / Penrith / Pollution incidents
How often does Penrith get polluted?
7 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Penrith or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 164th most of the 948 English towns that have had one. The most recent came in February 2026 and put unidentified oil in the water.
| When | What | Where | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2026 | Unidentified oil | In the water | Significant |
| January 2023 | Odour | In the air | Significant |
| October 2020 | An unidentified pollutant | In the water | Significant |
| September 2020 | Odour | In the air | Significant |
| September 2020 | Odour | In the air | Significant |
| May 2020 | Odour | In the air | Significant |
| June 2016 | General biodegradable material or waste | In the water | Significant |
| Town | Distance | Serious incidents since 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Penrith | – | 7 |
| Carlisle | 28.1 km | 6 |
| Kendal | 37.6 km | 4 |
| Cockermouth | 39.0 km | 1 |
| Maryport | 47.8 km | 1 |