Koon Yew Yin, 6th Sept 2024

Water pollution is a huge challenge for freshwater in the UK, impacting our rivers, streams, and lakes and the wildlife that call them home.

After reading this long article, you should read my comment at the end.

In June, over 2,600 people measured the water quality of their local rivers, lakes, and streams as part of the Great UK WaterBlitz. The results showed that 75% of freshwater sites in the UK had poor ecological health.

But what is causing the increase in water pollution and what are the impacts? Our Director of Science & Policy, Dr. Sasha Woods, explains.

What are nitrates and phosphates and why are they a problem?

Nitrates and phosphates are nutrients that occur naturally in the environment. Plants need them to grow. Healthy freshwater ecosystems usually have small amounts of these nutrients helping aquatic plants to survive.

However, human activity on land can cause unnaturally high levels of nutrients – and other pollutants – to enter our rivers, streams, and lakes, resulting in nutrient pollution.

What are the causes of water pollution?

Agriculture

The modernisation and intensification of agriculture during and after World War II resulted in too much nitrate entering our environment. The manufacture and application of artificial fertilisers since the 1940s have increased the amount of surplus nitrate.

Artificial fertilisers dissolve easily in water, and unlike natural fertilisers, add no organic content to the soil. When artificial fertilisers are used on land, rainfall washes them into ditches and rivers. They also drain from the soil into groundwater (underground water in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock).

This makes agricultural areas a historical source of diffuse water pollution. Diffuse pollution is where small amounts of contaminants build up from multiple sources across a large area. This is in contrast to pollutants that enter watercourses from a specific point, such as a pipe or outflow.

Although the amounts vary depending on how local land is used, the Environment Agency estimates that agriculture is responsible for 50-60% of nitrate entering waterways. With phosphates, agriculture contributes 20% of the total phosphorus entering our watercourses.

Sewage and wastewater

The majority of phosphate pollution (around 80%) comes from urban wastewater. As for nitrates, sewage effluent (liquid waste) contributes about 25-30% nationally.

Urban wastewater, which is generally called sewage, is a mixture of domestic wastewater from baths, sinks, washing machines, and toilets. It also includes wastewater from industry, and rainwater washing off roads and other surfaced areas (called surface run-off). Over 300 different chemicals are released from car tyres wearing down on roads.

Every day, 347,000 kilometres of sewers collect over 11 billion litres of wastewater. This goes through sewage treatment works before being released back to inland waters, estuaries, and the sea. The treatment cleans and recycles the water by removing organic substances.

Solid matter is filtered out (primary treatment) and then bacteria are used to ‘digest’ and break down the organic substances (secondary treatment). Finally, nitrates and phosphates are removed (tertiary treatment) with various methods including sand filtration, activated carbon filtration, and chemical oxidation.

During heavy rainfall, the sewers can fill up and overflow. This can result in the inundation of sewage works and the potential for dirty water to back up and flood people’s homes, roads, and open spaces.

To prevent this, combined sewer overflows were developed with overflow valves to reduce the risk of sewage backing up during heavy rainfall. However, this results in untreated sewage being sent to our rivers and other freshwater bodies instead, causing water pollution.

What are the effects of water pollution?

High levels of nutrients trigger a process called eutrophication. This is when excessive plant and algal growth (caused by the extra nutrients) leads to high levels of bacteria. The bacteria decrease oxygen levels in the water, killing plants and animals.

Lots of algae on the water’s surface can also choke waterways, preventing wildlife from feeding, and block sunlight causing further problems for aquatic plants.

Our rivers are being put under pressure by historical and current intensive farming. Sewage discharge is making things even worse. The high nitrate levels are driving the poor ecological state of freshwater across the UK, with phosphate levels adding to the dire mix.

We’re fighting for healthy fresh water

Our FreshWater Watch programme is a global citizen science initiative where community groups are trained to monitor and protect their local rivers, lakes, and freshwater bodies.

Citizen scientists use our Fresh Water Watch test kit to measure nutrient pollution, and record basic visual observations of their chosen local waterbody. These include surrounding land use, pollution sources, and algae.

How can you help?

Our rivers and freshwater habitats are at a crisis point and we need urgent action. Sign up to the Great UK WaterBlitz to join the fight for healthy freshwater next Spring! Help us build a national picture of water quality across the UK.

I am a Malaysian and I am a qualified UK Chartered Civil Engineer with experience in water supply and sewerage purification work. After I read the above article, here is my comment:

The UK Government should increase expenditure on infrastructure development.

Importance of Infrastructure Development

• Infrastructure development plays a significant role in enhancing the quality of life for citizens, attracting foreign investment, and creating jobs. For example:
• Efficient transportation systems facilitate the movement of goods and people, promoting trade and commerce.
• Communication networks enable efficient information exchange, fostering innovation and creating new opportunities for businesses.
• Energy systems power industries and households, while water and waste management systems ensure access to clean water and sanitation facilities, reducing the spread of diseases.

Top 10 Challenges of Infrastructure Development and Preconstruction

Despite its many benefits, infrastructure development faces several challenges. Here are the most significant ones:

1. Cost

Infrastructure projects require significant investments, and developers often struggle to secure the necessary funds. The cost of building a new highway, for example, can be in the billions of dollars. Additionally, political instability and corruption can impede the development of infrastructure projects, leading to delays and cost overruns.

2. Complexity

Infrastructure projects are huge projects that involve multiple stakeholders, including governments, private sector companies, and local communities. Coordinating the efforts of these stakeholders can be challenging, especially in large-scale projects involving multiple countries.

3. Environmental Concerns

Infrastructure development can have significant environmental impacts, such as deforestation, habitat loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. Governments and private sector companies need to ensure that infrastructure projects are sustainable and minimize their environmental footprint.

4. Labor

Infrastructure development requires a wide range of skills, including engineering, project management, finance, and environmental science. With a growing demand for infrastructure projects, there’s an increasing need for skilled professionals to plan, design, and construct these projects.

5. Public Opposition

Infrastructure projects often face public opposition regarding the cost of the project, the environmental impact, or how it will affect their community.

6. Traffic and Business Disruption

The construction of a new highway, for example, can cause traffic congestion and make it difficult for businesses to operate.

7. Regulations

Infrastructure projects are subject to numerous regulations, which add to the cost and complexity of the projects.

8. Political Instability

Infrastructure projects typically are long-term investments. Political stability is important for ensuring that these projects are completed on time and on budget.

9. Capacity

The construction industry often faces capacity constraints. This can lead to delays and cost overruns on infrastructure projects.

10. Operation and Maintenance with Construction Management

Once an infrastructure project is completed, it needs to be properly operated and maintained in order to ensure its long-term sustainability.

Other Factors

In addition to the challenges mentioned above, other factors can affect the success of infrastructure development projects, such as technology, climate change, and the impact on real estate development.

For example, the development of new transportation systems can increase property values in areas near transit hubs, while the construction of new public facilities such as schools and hospitals can make areas more attractive to homebuyers.

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) also have a significant impact on infrastructure development. PPPs involve collaborations between governments and private sector companies to finance and deliver infrastructure projects. These collaborations help governments overcome funding constraints while enabling private sector companies to invest in profitable infrastructure projects.

In addition, a move toward sustainability is affecting infrastructure development. As the world becomes more environmentally conscious, governments and private sector companies are prioritizing sustainability in infrastructure projects, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions, conserving natural resources, and promoting renewable energy sources.

Final words

​Infrastructure development can be a complex and challenging process. There are many factors to consider, such as cost, environmental impact, political climate, and public support or opposition. Therefore, it’s extremely important to have a clear plan and to carefully consider all of the potential risks and challenges before embarking on an infrastructure development project.