Crap Towns / Washington / Pollution incidents
How often does Washington get polluted?
5 serious pollution incidents have been recorded in Washington or within 1 km of it since 2016, the joint 231st most of the 948 English towns that have had one. 4 were major, the worst kind. The most recent came in July 2026 and put firefighting run-off in the water.
| When | What | Where | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2026 | Firefighting run-off | In the water | Major |
| January 2025 | Commercial waste, building rubble and tyres | On the land | Significant |
| September 2021 | Crude oil | In the water | Major |
| April 2021 | Inorganic chemical or product | In the water | Major |
| November 2018 | Animal matter | On the land | Major |
| Town | Distance | Serious incidents since 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Gateshead | 5.7 km | 12 |
| Sunderland | 6.8 km | 7 |
| Jarrow | 7.7 km | 5 |
| Washington | – | 5 |
| Birtley | 4.1 km | 4 |
| Boldon Colliery | 6.2 km | 4 |
| Chester-le-Street | 6.8 km | 2 |
| Fence Houses | 6.9 km | 2 |
| Pelton and Ouston | 6.5 km | 2 |
| East Boldon and West Boldon | 6.8 km | 1 |
| Shiney Row and Penshaw | 4.7 km | 1 |