The River Ouzel has failed testing for chemical pollution, according to new data published by the Environment Agency (EA) in August.
The Agency’s analysis of the UK’s water courses, as part of the Water Framework Directive, is the first in six years. The River Ouzel, which runs through Leighton Buzzard, failed the chemical test. We don’t know the individual results for chemicals, however, meaning it could contain any combination of substances including heavy metals, garden chemicals, petrol, microplastics and so-called ‘forever chemicals’.
This cocktail of contaminants are toxic to the natural environment and to human health.
The river’s ecological status is unchanged in six years, and is still classed as ‘moderate’. Its phosphate levels – a nutrient indicative of sewage and farm runoff – was rated as ‘poor’, while its ammonia levels are ‘high’ – indicative of agricultural and industrial run-off.
The findings have been released as Bedfordshire is in drought and under a hosepipe ban. Climate change is exacerbating the issue, bringing hotter, drier summers, which means lower river levels and a concentration of pollution – leaving aquatic life exposed to concentrated toxicity.,
Government failing to meet water quality targets
The EA data also tested for ecological health and found that just 14.3% of rivers, lakes and coastal waters are in Good Ecological Condition (GEC). 65.4% were classed as moderate.
As it stands, the government is woefully off-track for meeting its legally-binding target of 77% in GEC by 2027, which is set by the Office for Environmental Protection.
In the meantime, we’ll continue our regular chemical and invertebrate monitoring to keep building a picture of the health of the Ouzel.