High levels of the banned cancer-causing 'forever chemical' Pfos have been detected in rivers and groundwater at 25 sites across Cumbria and Lancashire, according to Environment Agency samples taken in January 2025. The contamination, uncovered by Watershed Investigations and the Guardian, spans an area of outstanding natural beauty with multiple protections for wildlife and habitats.
Pfos is a type of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (Pfas), known as 'forever chemicals' because they take hundreds or thousands of years to degrade. At one site, groundwater contained Pfos at 3,840ng/l, alongside elevated levels of other banned Pfas compounds. Twenty-five sites recorded Pfos concentrations well above drinking water guideline limits of 100ng/l for the combined total of 48 Pfas compounds.
A resident whose business's private well is polluted said they found out in November 2021 after being 'unofficially' informed by an individual at the Environment Agency, and stopped drinking the water immediately. According to the resident, the agency had been testing the well for about 35 years because of concerns about 'chemical drift' in the groundwater. 'When I contacted the agency, they offered no help,' the resident said, adding that they were directed to Westmorland and Furness council, which 'said they wished I had not been told, as they could not even test for Pfas … there was no help, no advice, no support of any kind'.
Westmorland and Furness council said it was informed by the Environment Agency about the contaminated supply in late 2021 and that the business switched over to the mains water supply. 'The council has continued to support the business to ensure compliance in line with statutory requirements and the provision of a safe water supply,' said a spokesperson. The Environment Agency said it identified elevated levels of Pfas in the area in 2022 through its national surveillance monitoring programme, but stressed that responsibility for protecting users of private water supplies lies with local authorities.
Possible sources of Pfos contamination identified in the Environment Agency's March 2025 report include a paper mill in Beetham, where Pfas are known to have been used. The mill's operator went into administration and its assets were sold to a new operator in June 2025. Robyn Khan, director of the new operator Pelta Medical Papers, said: 'Since this acquisition, there has been no use of Pfas-based chemicals on site, and the mill does not manufacture paper containing Pfas.' The report also identified five historical landfills and one operational landfill as possible sources, alongside sewage treatment works, fire stations and discharges from caravan parks.
