GCSE Geography | Water Pollution in the UK (Resource Management - UK Overview 6)

The quantity of water is important, but the quality of that water is also very important!

Monitoring water quality

The Environment Agency is in charge of managing water quality across the UK, and does this in a number of ways…

It regularly monitors river water quality, and when needed it will remove sediment through a filtration process, or add chlorine to purify water. It also has strict regulations on water use, including restrictions on recreational use of water sources, e.g. no power boats on certain reservoirs.

It will also impose fines on those who pollute water sources, e.g. the Southern Water sewage scandal - in 2021 Southern Water was fined £90m for repeated and deliberately dumping raw sewage. Between 2010 and 2015 it unleashed around 21 billion litres of untreated sewage into local waterways, and is continuing to discharge waste today.

Despite this monitoring pollution has caused the deterioration of groundwater sources. The main causes are:

Chemical run-off

Chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in agriculture have run-off into waterways - this causes 40% of all water pollution in England. This leads to the process of eutrophication which causes algae blooms, which then take up huge amounts of oxygen in waterways, so there is far less for other species. There are no rivers in England that are considered to be in good chemical health. This has an impact on marine wildlife, for example, many freshwater fish species are in decline. It also has a risk for human health, particularly as rivers and lakes are used for recreation - open water swimming and paddle sports have increased in popularity, but those who take part have a risk of being exposed to chemicals, which can affect their health.

Raw sewage

Untreated sewage is released by water companies on a daily basis - this causes 35% of water pollution in England. The UK has a combined sewerage system, which means that rainwater and wastewater (from toilets, sinks, showers, etc) are carried in the same pipes to a sewage treatment works. However, during heavy rainfall the capacity of these pipes can be exceeded, causing the inundation of sewage works, and possible widespread flooding - so at these times there is an overflow system which means excess wastewater can be discharged into the sea and rivers - called combined sewer overflows. If this is done during heavy rainfall, then the sewage will be diluted by the rain. However, some water companies have been accused of dumping raw sewage when it's not raining - this is illegal!

A report from Surfers Against Sewage Water in 2023 highlighted that raw sewage discharges entered our waterways 399,864 times and that there were over 18,000 real-time sewage and pollution alerts that year. As a result 60% of popular swimming sites didn't meet minimum safety requirements.

Sewage can contain many disease-causing microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and parasites, which has led to a sharp rise in waterborne illnesses in the UK.

What are the health risks of sewage?

• Gastrointestinal infections - e.g. diarrhoea, vomiting, stomach cramps, and a fever can be caused by Salmonella and E Coli.
• Viral infections - e.g. gastroenteritis can be caused by norovirus from contaminated water
• Respiratory infections - e.g. lung and airway infections can be caused by inhaling sewage droplets
• Skin problems - e.g. eczema or rashes can be caused by contact with contaminated water
• Repeated or prolonged exposure to sewage can also lead to long-term health issues, such as digestive and respiratory symptoms, and irritation of the nose, throat and skin

Raw sewage and water sports

Raw sewage in our waterways has had an impact on several sporting events in the last couple of years...

Oxford Cambridge Boat Race (March 2024)

Before the race high levels of E.coli were detected in the Thames at Putney and Mortlake - stretch of the river where the event takes place. As a precaution crew members were warned not to swallow water and to protect themselves by covering up all exposed scratches, cuts, and grazes. They were also told that the tradition of the winning team throwing their cox into the water was not allowed to go ahead, and that they should lift them into the air instead. However, despite these precautions three members of the Oxford team went down with an E.coli strain.

Sunderland World Triathlon Championship (August 2023)

This took place at Roker Beach - water testing that was carried out 3 days before the race showed dangerously high levels of E Coli in the water - in fact the levels were 39 times higher than the reading taken in July, a month earlier. The cause of this excess bacteria was identified as a large sewage dumping that occurred in Whitburn, 2km north of Roker Beach. 57 swimmers came down with sickness and diarrhoea following the event.

Other causes of water pollution

There are other causes of water pollution that contaminate ground water sources...

• Run-off from roads and towns which contains pollutants such as oil - this causes 18% of water pollution in England
• Chemicals from old underground mine working have leeched into waterways
• Industrial sites have discharged waste into waterways
• Power stations have released the water used in the cooling process back into waterways
• Poorly maintained septic tanks and inadequate plumbing has caused sewage to run into rivers
• Microplastics (tiny pieces of any kind of plastic debris) are often found in our drinking water supplies and the fish we eat

The role of the Rivers Trust

The Rivers Trust is an umbrella organisation for the 65 Rivers Trusts across the UK - they use their river and catchment conservation expertise to protect and improve rivers. These local river trusts are doing lots of improve water quality across the UK...

• Improving agricultural practices and farm infrastructure to address chemicals, surface run-off and the erosion of soil
• Restoring natural features such as wetlands and woodlands which act as a natural filter for pollutants
• Creating green infrastructure in towns and cities, to slow the flow of surface run-off and reduce the risk of sewer systems overflowing
• Monitoring water quality to identify misconnected pipes and pollution hotspots
• Raising awareness about pipes and drains and their impact on water quality