Corby water report: 'Everybody deserves to live in an environment that is safe'
Campaigners call for 'transparency' after new findings are released
A new report has confirmed metal contamination in Corby’s rivers and streams, prompting urgent calls from residents for continued monitoring and greater transparency from officials.
Environmental charity Earthwatch joined forces with 35 trained volunteers from Corby to test 59 freshwater sites in November 2025. Water samples were analysed for 33 elements, including 29 metals and metalloids, using a combination of low-cost citizen science kits and laboratory testing.
Local mother, Tracey Taylor, who was depicted in the 2024 Netflix drama Toxic Town took part in the community testing process last November. She says she is not at all surprised by the report's findings.
Taylor said: “It’s sad that something was found, but it backs what we’ve been saying for years about toxic waste possibly leaching into waterways and soil.
''It's helped us massively in moving on to the next step where we hope the people involved like North Northamptonshire Council and the government and others, start to work with better transparency.''
Taylor has long campaigned on environmental issues after her daughter, Shelby Anne, died at four days old during Corby's historic poisoning scandal. She says she hopes the report findings will lead to further action to protect the future generation of the town.
''We need to get this sorted for the people of Corby and the future generations of Corby, because everybody deserves to live in an environment that is safe.''
She added that the community is prepared to crowdfund if necessary to ensure more testing takes place in the summer, she also has an ongoing petition.
Taylor says that herself and other local campaigners are planning to contact MPs and councils to push for funding and support for future water testing.
Earthwatch has indicated that seasonal retesting could provide a clearer picture of contamination levels and is urging residents to push for further action.
Dr Sasha Woods Director of Science and Impact at Earthwatch said: ''The citizen scientists were absolutely crucial in this entire investigation because they knew the sites of interest, they knew the freshwater bodies that they wanted to investigate and at which points they wanted to assess metal pollution.''
Dr Woods explained that the study offers a ''powerful snapshot'' but was conducted on a single wet day during November, more testing is required across different seasons to understand long-term trends.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said in a statement:
“We will study the findings of the final report so we can support and advise North Northamptonshire Council and Earthwatch Europe on their next steps.”
Lee Barron, MP for Corby and East Northamptonshire, said in a statement:
“I believe this report is an important step in residents’ requests to get scientific data and will give decision makers an invaluable insight into what work now needs to be done.
“My thanks go to Earthwatch, and the scientists who have helped to make this possible and the citizen scientists who braved horrendous weather conditions to collect samples at so many freshwater sites.
“I will now be working with colleagues in Parliament to ensure the work continues to get answers for our residents.”
We've contacted North Northamptonshire Council for comment.