{"id":7319,"date":"2022-12-02T13:54:25","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T13:54:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/?p=7319"},"modified":"2023-10-06T10:23:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-06T09:23:48","slug":"pollution-in-uk-rivers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aquaread.com\/blog\/pollution-in-uk-rivers\/","title":{"rendered":"The State of the UK’s Rivers: Clean or Polluted?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The UK\u2019s rivers are a crucial part of our environment that both wildlife and humans depend on. Not only are they sources of enjoyment and leisure, but we and many species of animals quite simply <\/span>need <\/span><\/i>them to survive.<\/span><\/p>\n

As more of our rivers dry out and become polluted, the species that depend on them begin dying out. And those animals that remain need the water quality to be such that they can rely on the water bodies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the UK, we have <\/span>lost 90% of our wetland habitats<\/a><\/strong> in the last century, and over 10% of freshwater and wetland species are on the brink of extinction. With two thirds of existing species in decline, it\u2019s clear that something must be done.<\/span><\/p>\n

So what\u2019s the reality for the UK\u2019s rivers? The Environmental Audit Committee released <\/span>a comprehensive study into river water quality<\/a><\/strong> earlier this year. We wanted to unpack some of the findings, causes, and what they might mean for the future of these precious waters.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key findings regarding river quality<\/span><\/h2>\n

To understand the key findings, we must first understand the framework used.<\/span><\/p>\n

The general classification system used by the Environment Agency and the Environmental Audit Committee is that of \u2018ecological status\u2019. \u2018Good\u2019 ecological status is the primary objective for all bodies of water.<\/span><\/p>\n

Established by the <\/span>Water Framework Directive<\/a><\/strong>, this system looks at the ecological, physico-chemical, quantitative, and morphological aspects of a given body of water to determine how far it sways from undisturbed conditions.<\/span><\/p>\n

The initial objective of the WFD, created in 2000, was to bring all European bodies of water up to \u201cgood\u201d by 2015. Since then, the timetable has shifted, making the goal year 2027.<\/span><\/p>\n

And how is the UK faring?<\/span><\/p>\n

The ecological status of the UK\u2019s rivers<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, as it stands, <\/span>only 14% of rivers<\/a><\/strong> in England currently have good ecological status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As you might be able to predict from this shocking statistic, this means the Government is <\/span>not on track<\/strong><\/span><\/a> to meet the requirements of the WFD by 2027. In fact, as the EAC mentions, many reliable institutions \u2013 such as <\/span>Countryside Link<\/strong><\/span><\/a> \u2013 suggest that our rivers have the worst water quality in Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s a poor claim to fame if ever there was one!<\/span><\/p>\n

So let\u2019s take a look at the chemical makeup of the UK\u2019s rivers to understand a little more about what might be causing this averagely poor ecological status.<\/span><\/p>\n

Water quality indicators<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The EAC\u2019s findings indicate some varied results when it comes to the actual makeup of these waters, with some wins and losses. The below figures indicate the percentage of UK rivers with a \u2018good status\u2019 for the concentration of the following chemicals:<\/span><\/p>\n