Our TDEG meeting on 9 October 2024 addressed the recent shocking reports in the national media that Tideswell Brook has been found in a study by the University of York to be the second most polluted stream for pharmaceutical pollution in rivers in the UK (second only to an urban river in Glasgow).
We heard presentations from Lynn Crowe (TDEG Committee), Andrew McCloy (Chair, Campaign for National Parks) and a joint presentation from Ben Carter (Derbyshire Wildlife Trust) and Scott McKenzie (Trent Rivers’ Trust). The speakers then took questions from the audience. Questions related to EA matters will be sent to Martyn Owen, EA who had intended to speak at the meeting, but had to withdraw at short notice.
Presentation by Lynn Crowe (including notes from Martyn Owen, EA)
Martyn was very sorry not to be able to attend and Lynn stepped in at short notice to present a summary of TDEG’s understanding of the situation, and some notes provided by Martyn.
TDEG’s concerns had been aroused by reports in the national media of the University of York’s research findings that Tideswell Brook is the second most polluted stream in their study of pharmaceutical pollution in rivers in the UK (second only to an urban river in Glasgow). Further details on the TDEG website.
The causes are unclear. But could be due to two issues The Tideswell Sewage Treatment Works (STW) could be too small for the total population, including visitors, and untreated sewage is allowed to overflow into the Tideswell Brook even in unexceptional rainfall events. But also, our small STW may not be required to treat pharmaceuticals effectively anyway, due to outdated regulations.
Lynn then spoke from Martyn Owen’s notes. The UK government had set a Water Framework Directive target of all UK water bodies to be in good condition by 2027. However, this target was not going to be met and debate was continuing on new targets.
A lot of work had been undertaken in the Upper River Wye to try to achieve a good WFD designation. Local farmers could be proud of what they had achieved with their own funds and grants to reduce pollution from slurry and other agricultural sources. Other water quality problems came from sewage including untreated ‘storm’ overflow emissions and urban diffuse sources. Problems could also be caused by misconnected toilets flowing into water bodies instead of going into the sewage system or a non-compliant septic tank. More could still be done to reduce agricultural pollution of streams and rivers.
Organophosphates in the Wye were monitored by the EA, including locally at Litton Mill and Millers Dale. Data since 2000 showed substantial reductions being maintained through the work of the EA and its partners. The EA’s view was that the future of water quality depended on the outcome of the Water Industry National Environment Programme and the government’s decisions on regulations. The EA could only work to regulations set, and with the resources they were given.
Presentation by Andrew McCloy – Chair, Campaign for National Parks
The full presentation is available here.
Andrew was formerly chair of the Peak District National Park Authority. CNP is an independent campaigning group and had been a critical friend to the national parks since 1932. Not a single water body in an English National Park is in good overall health. And the situation is getting worse.
Rivers meeting good ecological status or higher fell from 47% in 2013 to 39% in 2022. The Peak District is the third worst performing national park for water quality in England, and the seventh most sewage affected national park in England and Wales.
CNP believe that Sewage Treatment Works in Tideswell, and several other similar sized local places, are small Treatment Works which only meet the regulations set for populations below 2,000 people. This does not account for the 10 million visitors to the Peak District National Park each year. Small Treatment Works are one of the main causes of river pollution in the Peak District National Park. CNP is lobbying for change through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill in which they have already achieved recognition of national parks’ special status. We now need to persuade government to improve design standards for small, rural STWs to meet the needs of our local residents.
Presentation by Scott Mckenzie (Trent Rivers Trust) and Ben Carter (Derbyshire Wildlife Trust)
The full presentation is available here.
Rivers were threatened by pollution, ecological decline, habitat loss and climate change. The river is not just the main channel, but also its banks, bankside vegetation and flood plain.
“What’s good for the goose, is good for the meander.”
Biodiversity of rivers is declining – the salmon population last year was the worst on record.
This decline is a consequence of the cumulative effects of decades of quality of life improvements, whilst ignoring environmental impacts. But we know how to improve water quality and biodiversity – so there is cause for optimism.
The Derwent Living Forest project was created by the Derwent Catchment Partnership to link the Northern Forest to the National Forest. Natural Flood Management eg leaky dams were being used to slow the flow, reducing flood risk and creating wetland habitats.
DWT and the Rivers Trust are asking local groups and authorities to sign up to the River Charter for the Derwent. The Derwent catchment includes the River Wye and all its tributaries. The River Charter for the Derwent could be adopted by Derbyshire Dales District Council.
There are several ways of gathering data on river ecological health: outfall safari, water opacity survey, stone turning, water quality testing. Invertebrate underpin ecological health and so the number of wriggly things was key. A local angler advised that phosphates, nitrates, pH and ammonia test could be conducted by citizen scientists, and linkscoukd be madexwith the Riverfly Partnership. Phosphate levels are also a good proxy for sewage pollution.
DWT were running buses from Matlock and Derby to The March for Clean Water in London on Sunday 3rd November.
Questions and Discussion
Lynn, Scott, Ben and Andrew took questions from the audience. Some of these questions will be sent to the Environment Agency for further comments and we will publish their answers.
Q1 Could the panel say more about the Derwent Catchment Partnership?
A management plan has been written for the Derwent by the Derwent Catchment Partnership. Scott is its chair and he aims to help rivers manage themselves eg through reintroduction of Beavers in appropriate places. The partnership has only £15k per annum, but achieves collaboration and coordination, for example the Derwent Living Forest project, which will provide wildlife corridors and slow the flow of flood water.
Q2 Could a larger Sewage Treatment Works, as opposed to the small Treatment Works Tideswell currently has, deal with the pharmaceuticals found in the University of York measurements?
Not entirely. Advanced Treatment facilities used in larger towns and cities deal with some of the pharmaceuticals. Clearly they could have no effect on the 125 storm overflows of untreated sewage being permitted at present by the regulator. Tideswell has a small STW because its recorded population is below 2,000. In national parks, the standards do not take account of visitor populations.
Q3 Could we reduce the overwhelming of Tideswell’s small STW by slowing the flow upstream eg tree planting in the upper reaches of Tideswell Brook, or through the use of things like water butts on our gutter downpipes?
Yes, this would help reduce overflow of the capacity of the current treatment works, but without an upgrade to an Advance Treatment facility, even water going through the plant does not have its pharmaceutical concentrations reduced effectively.
Q4 Which citizen science kits are the best and accepted as good evidence by agencies?
There are several good and low cost options. Advice should be sought from the EA as to which ones they recognise. The biggest problems are coordination of the data, ie collecting, archiving and presenting it in a useable form, and sustaining measurement taking for long enough to be useful. 10 years of data was sometimes required. Spot measured from a single year were less useful.
Q5 Where were the measurements of pharmaceuticals in the York study taken?
Downstream of the village and its sewage treatment plant, in Tideswell Brook.
Q6 What are the consequences for water companies for pollution from their plants?
It’s a complicated picture. Companies, like Severn Trent, who have met their targets will be allowed to raise our water bills. In parallel, all companies are currently in negotiation with Ofwat for the next Asset Management Period, which may allow them to increase our bills in order to fund infrastructure improvements, presumably including upgrades to sewage treatment plants?
Q7 Who is responsible for prosecuting the directors of the water companies who allow pollution into our local streams and rivers?
We think it is OFWAT and the EA – but we will check.
Q8 What action is being taken to require the pharmaceutical industry to take responsibility of pollution of our rivers by its products?
This question will be passed to the EA. But Lynn was aware that successful schemes were being run in Switzerland, and the EU was bringing in regulations to achieve similar results. But the UK is no longer part of the EU, so we need to persuade our government to do this independently.
Q9 What are the consequences for drug resistance of river pollution by pharmaceuticals?
This question will be passed to the EA.
Q10 A resident observed that the Tideswell Brook seemed to be drier more often than in the past. What was the cause?
The cause was not known, but it was noted that there had been digging out of the channel to reduce flooding. TDEG are trying to find out more information on this, and its possible impacts.
Q11 The National Trust owns the lower part of Tideswell Dale. Can anyone advise us of the National Trust’s view of this problem?
They were working with DWT and EA but their view/awareness of this issue were not known.
Q12 What role does prescription dosage play in pollution concentrations?
The medical view of this was not known, but overprescription had been found to be part of the problem in Switzerland and they are working with pharmaceutical companies to address this.
Discussion points
A representative of the Derbyshire Dales District Council advised that their Environmental health team be contacted to get support for citizen science.
A reply had previously been received from our MP stating he was attending a meeting in Westminster to learn more about these problems.
Sheelagh (Derbyshire Climate Action) was meeting with our MP soon, and stated she would raise Tideswell’s concerns about water quality with him.
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