Surface Water Monitoring

The EU Water Framework Directive, 2000/60/EC, requires all inland and coastal waters to reach “good” status by 2015. In the UK the Environment Agency assess river quality through an annual survey called the General Quality Assessment (GQA) scheme, which measures four aspects of river quality:–

  • Biology – indicator of the overall ‘health’ of a river
  • Chemistry – indicator of organic pollution
  • Nutrients – Measures levels of nitrate and phosphate
  • Aesthetic quality – Qualitative assessment

In the UK, surface waters have a wide variety of uses including industrial processes such as abstraction for cooling, agricultural processes such as irrigation, leisure activities such as boating as well as being an important habitat for fish and wildlife within our landscape.

Adjacent activities can have a direct impact on surface water quality, which may potentially cause pollution through direct run-off, atmospheric deposition, authorised or accidental discharges or via the flow of contaminated groundwater.

A Phase 1 Desk Study will identify the likely quality of watercourses in close proximity to a site. Where these are identified as potentially sensitive receptors it will be necessary to include a programme of monitoring, sampling and analysis, as part of the Phase 2 Intrusive Investigation.

At Terragen our consultants will determine the quality of an adjacent watercourse through an assessment of GQA data from the Environment Agency. In combination with an assessment of potential sources of contamination will then be used to compile a site specific suite of chemical parameters.

A testing suite may include:-

  • pH, salinity and nutrients
  • Pathogens and microbial indicators of contamination
  • Herbicides/Pesticides
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Heavy metals

In addition to this our consultants would design and implement a sampling strategy, which for watercourses would commonly include upstream and downstream sampling pre, during and post development to monitor potential effects on surface water quality. Representative samples would be collected via an appropriate technique and where necessary in-situ readings and observations would be made.

Should you require any further information or advice, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@terragenenvironmental.co.uk