British Rivers

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francovendee
Posts: 3148
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

British Rivers

Post by francovendee »

I'm sure it can't be correct but I heard a report that all British rivers had sewage discharges poured into them last year.
In the same report is said only 14% of British rivers had a healthy ecology.
Hopefully these aren't facts and whilst an occasional discharge does happen it's only on a few rivers on rare occasions.
I thought there was an EU regulation on river polution that we complied to?
Ben@Forest
Posts: 3647
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 5:58pm

Re: British Rivers

Post by Ben@Forest »

francovendee wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 1:38pm I'm sure it can't be correct but I heard a report that all British rivers had sewage discharges poured into them last year.
In the same report is said only 14% of British rivers had a healthy ecology.
Hopefully these aren't facts and whilst an occasional discharge does happen it's only on a few rivers on rare occasions.
I thought there was an EU regulation on river polution that we complied to?
The UK failed the standards but conditions haven't necessarily overall got worse - the standards got higher. Not that that is anything to be pleased or complacent about.

https://www.theguardian.com/environment ... -chemicals
Mike Sales
Posts: 7882
Joined: 7 Mar 2009, 3:31pm

Re: British Rivers

Post by Mike Sales »

francovendee wrote: 25 Oct 2021, 1:38pm I'm sure it can't be correct but I heard a report that all British rivers had sewage discharges poured into them last year.
In the same report is said only 14% of British rivers had a healthy ecology.
Hopefully these aren't facts and whilst an occasional discharge does happen it's only on a few rivers on rare occasions.
I thought there was an EU regulation on river polution that we complied to?
This site might help.
Alarming new data has revealed that none of England’s rivers are in good overall health.
The latest Water Framework Directive Classification Status data, published by the Environment Agency, shows the state of the country’s rivers throughout 2019 based on ecological and chemical factors. The percentage of rivers with good ecological status remains at 14% from 2016, whilst an increase in the number of chemical pollutants assessed for means that 0% of rivers met good chemical status.
https://www.theriverstrust.org/about-us ... onal-scale
It's the same the whole world over
It's the poor what gets the blame
It's the rich what gets the pleasure
Isn't it a blooming shame?
pwa
Posts: 17366
Joined: 2 Oct 2011, 8:55pm

Re: British Rivers

Post by pwa »

A mile or so from me is a lovely little stream that flows through a village then down to the sea a mile further on, and Welsh Water haven't yet managed to keep that clear of sewage when rainfall is very high. The problem is where rainwater and sewage end up in the same pipe, which then exceeds capacity when it rains a lot then overflows. I am 60 years old and it has been happening my whole life.

So don't refill your bidon here:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Blaen ... 4?hl=en-GB
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: British Rivers

Post by geocycle »

Only a small proportion of UK rivers reach 'Good' ecological status according to the EU Water Framework Directive criteria. This measures things like chemistry (N and P, O, pH, Arsenic, Chromium, transparency etc), plants, fish, algae; morphology and flow on a five point scale. It is one out all out, ie the worst measure determines the status. Across Europe only 40% are in Good status or better. River basin management plans are trying to improve that situation from the baseline. UK legislation is still based on WFD for the moment.

Sewage discharge is highly controversial, it is designed to take pressure off the drains and treatment works during storms. The reality is that it is getting abused by the water companies but stopping it completely would cost a fortune and involve huge infrastructure.

Climate, storms and climate change predictions are probably nearly as important as land use decisions on river water quality. For example 90% of phosphorus enters the river Eden from farmland in just 10% of the time!
Ben@Forest
Posts: 3647
Joined: 28 Jan 2013, 5:58pm

Re: British Rivers

Post by Ben@Forest »

There are contaminants that have nothing to do with sewage too. They're still trying to clean up water from abandoned mines, not modern mines but those as far back as the 18th and 19th centuries, which have high metals levels - I presume they contravene the chemicals standards because they're spending a hell of a lot of money cleaning these things up.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collectio ... -treatment
francovendee
Posts: 3148
Joined: 5 May 2009, 6:32am

Re: British Rivers

Post by francovendee »

As I remember it, prior to privatisation our water network needed vast investments to be made.
Wasn't one of the Tory selling points that under private ownership more investment would be available?
Clearly not enough, the cost of remedial work to prevent sewage being discharged into rivers is enormous.
I think sewage discharges will be a permanent thing. This will not help in making our seas cleaner. :(
geocycle
Posts: 2177
Joined: 11 Jan 2007, 9:46am

Re: British Rivers

Post by geocycle »

francovendee wrote: 26 Oct 2021, 7:37am As I remember it, prior to privatisation our water network needed vast investments to be made.
Wasn't one of the Tory selling points that under private ownership more investment would be available?
Clearly not enough, the cost of remedial work to prevent sewage being discharged into rivers is enormous.
I think sewage discharges will be a permanent thing. This will not help in making our seas cleaner. :(
Correct, and some are much worse than others. SW, Yorkshire and Northumbria are among the better ones from an environmental perspective. We are producing more waste to go through Victorian pipes while storms increase overwhelming capacity more frequently.
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