17-Aug-2006
- Insects and other small creatures, such as shrimps
and snails, are benefiting from healthier rivers
and streams, the Environment Agency announced
today, releasing river biology results.
More species that can only live
in clean rivers, such as caddis-flies and mayflies,
have been found in many parts of the country over
the past five years. These insects are important
as food for fish.
But the Environment Agency warned
that the lack of rainfall this summer is likely
to affect the future health of rivers, particularly
in the south and east.
The 2005 results for river biology
(before this summer’s drought), which is a key
indicator of environmental health based on the
range of insects and creatures that live on river
beds, show 72% of rivers, or 27,700km, are in
good condition. This is up from 69% in 2000.
Some 68% of rivers, or 27,500km,
have a chemistry rating of "good", which
measures ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand and
dissolved oxygen. This is the same as in 2000.
But there are some worrying
signs - in Anglian region there has already been
a 6% net downgrade in biological quality since
2000 and a reduction in river flows is an important
factor.
Overall more than 2300km of
rivers have improved in biological quality since
2000, which is about seven times the total length
of the Thames.
Tricia Henton, Environmental
Protection Director at the Environment Agency,
said ongoing investment to reduce pollution from
sewer overflows was continuing to benefit the
environment.
However, more needed to be done
to tackle diffuse pollution, including run-off
from farmland.
"There has been massive
investment by the water industry over the past
five years in addressing sewage treatment works,
unsatisfactory storm overflows and pollution control,
and it is beginning to pay off.
"Our top two indicators
show that our water environment is improving,
and there has been great progress over the past
10 years.
"But diffuse pollution
is still a problem and measures need to be taken
to tackle it. Reducing pollution by designing
and building better drainage for housing and roads,
treating contaminated land and encouraging good
agricultural practices will all help improve the
quality of water.
"Also, the current drought
is affecting water quality, where very low river
flows have caused oxygen levels to plummet and
increased pollution. This has left fish struggling
to breathe and insects unable to breed as they
are stranded in dried up river beds."
Tricia Henton said new quality
standards to be set under the EU Water Framework
Directive would define targets for future environmental
water quality across Europe and would require
more comprehensive assessment of the ecological
health of rivers.
"The Water Framework Directive
establishes new and better ways of protecting
and improving rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries
and coastal waters, and sets a target to achieve
good ecological status for all rivers by 2015.
"Run-off from urban and
agricultural land is the most widespread pollution
risk across England and Wales and we face a major
challenge in addressing these to meet new EU standards.
"We will take action where
needed to meet the Water Framework Directive targets
by 2015."
About £500 million has
been invested by the water industry over the past
five years in improving sewage treatment and improvements
to sewers. Another £200 million has been
spent on phosphate removal under the Urban Waste
Waters Treatment Directive.
Biological quality is based
on insect life and other creatures such as snails,
shrimps and worms that live on the river bed.
They do not move far and respond to everything
in the water and to physical changes in their
habitat. They can be affected by pollutants that
occur only occasionally or in very low concentrations
that might be missed by chemical sampling. But
if they are damaged, populations can take time
to recover.
The Environment Agency's latest
General Quality Assessment of rivers in England
and Wales can be found on the Environment Agency
website.
Head Office Press Office
Insects and other creatures
benefit from healthier rivers in the North East
17-Aug-2006 - Insects and other
small creatures, such as shrimps and snails, are
benefiting from healthier rivers and streams in
the North East, the Environment Agency announced
today, releasing river biology results.
More species that can only live
in clean rivers, such as caddis-flies and mayflies,
have been found in many parts of the country over
the past five years. These insects are important
as food for fish.
Chemical water quality in the
region for 2005 continues to maintain good levels.
But the Environment Agency warned that the lack
of rainfall this summer is likely to affect the
future health of rivers.
The 2005 results for river biology,
which is a key indicator of environmental health
based on the range of insects and creatures that
live on river beds, show that 80 per cent of rivers,
or 1,673 kilometres, are in “good” or “very good”
condition. This figure remains stable compared
with figures in 2000.
Biological quality is based
on insect life and other creatures such as snails,
shrimps and worms that live on the river bed.
They do not move far and respond to everything
in the water and to physical changes in their
habitat. They can be affected by pollutants that
occur only occasionally or in very low concentrations
that might be missed by chemical sampling. But
if they are damaged, populations can take time
to recover.
The survey also looked at the
chemistry rating in rivers, with 84 per cent of
rivers, or 1,732 kilometres, having a chemistry
rating of "good" or “very good”, which
measures ammonia, biochemical oxygen demand and
dissolved oxygen. This figure also remains stable
compared with data in 2000.
Only around 55 kilometres were
rated as poor or bad for biological quality –
the worst categories. For chemical quality, around
60 kilometres rated as “poor”. For the first time
no stretches if river were rated in the “bad”
category.
Nationally, more than 2,300
kilometres of rivers have improved in biological
quality since 2000, which is about seven times
the total length of the Thames.
Tricia Henton, Environmental
Protection Director at the Environment Agency,
said ongoing investment to reduce pollution from
sewer overflows was continuing to benefit the
environment.
However, more needed to be done
to tackle diffuse pollution, including run-off
from farmland.
"There has been massive
investment by the water industry over the past
five years in addressing sewage treatment works,
unsatisfactory storm overflows and pollution control,
and it is beginning to pay off.
"Our top two indicators
show that our water environment is improving,
and there has been great progress over the past
10 years.
“But diffuse pollution is still
a problem and measures need to be taken to tackle
it. Reducing pollution by designing and building
better drainage for housing and roads, treating
contaminated land and encouraging good agricultural
practices will all help improve the quality of
water.
"Also, the current drought
is affecting water quality, where very low river
flows have caused oxygen levels to plummet and
increased pollution. This has left fish struggling
to breathe and insects unable to breed as they
are stranded in dried up river beds."
Tricia Henton said new quality
standards to be set under the EU Water Framework
Directive would define targets for future environmental
water quality across Europe and would require
more comprehensive assessment of the ecological
health of rivers.
"The Water Framework Directive
establishes new and better ways of protecting
and improving rivers, lakes, groundwater, estuaries
and coastal waters, and sets a target to achieve
good ecological status for all rivers by 2015.
"Run-off from urban and
agricultural land is the most widespread pollution
risk across England and Wales and we face a major
challenge in addressing these to meet new EU standards.
"We will take action where
needed to meet the Water Framework Directive targets
by 2015."
About £500 million has
been invested by the water industry over the past
five years in improving sewage treatment and improvements
to sewers. Another £200 million has been
spent on phosphate removal under the Urban Waste
Waters Treatment Directive.
The Environment Agency's latest
General Quality Assessment of rivers in England
and Wales can be found at www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Ends
Notes to editors
The Environment Agency has statutory
duties to reduce pollution, manage water resources
and conserve the environment. The Environment
Agency monitors the quality of over 40,000km of
rivers and canals and 2,800km of estuaries in
England and Wales.
General Quality Assessment
The Environment Agency's General
Quality Assessment (GQA) scheme classifies water
quality in rivers and canals in England and Wales.
The scheme provides a way of comparing river quality
from one river to another and for looking at changes
over time. Water quality is classified in to chemistry,
biology and nutrients.
For the chemistry and nutrient
‘windows’, about 7,000 river and canal sites are
sampled 12 times each year. The annual classification
is based on 36 samples ie the combined results
for three years, so the classification for the
year 2005 is based on sample results for 2003,
2004 and 2005.
Alexandra Wales
