In the first part of this two-part series, we looked at the impact of sewage spills on the UK’s natural waterways, and in particular, how such spills affect water quality. With some 1.75 million hours of spills in 2022 – more than doubling in 2023 – this clearly has a significant impact on the quality and safety of the natural water sources around us.
In this expert guide the water quality experts at Water Treatment Services review the UK practice of sewage dumping and its effect on the quality (and safety) of natural waterways including lakes, ponds, streams, rivers and the sea.
As open water swimming continues to grow in popularity across the UK, so too does the need to ensure that the rivers, lakes, and coastal waters we swim in are both safe and clean. Unlike swimming pools, which benefit from regular treatment and monitoring, natural bathing waters are exposed to a wide range of environmental influences that can quickly impact water quality. Runoff, sewage discharges, and naturally occurring bacteria are just a few of the potential risks that can pose serious health concerns for swimmers if left unchecked. For anyone responsible for managing or providing access to these waters, effective testing and monitoring is an essential step in protecting public health.
Some types of algae produce toxins that can be harmful to humans and animals. Carrying out blue-green algae testing can quickly confirm its presence helping owners, operators and managers of lakes, reservoirs and other watercourses, including recreational water sites, manage the potential health risks to people, pets and other animals.
In this expert guide we consider what this algae is and how to recognise it, the risks to people and animals, how these risks can be managed, and the benefits of algae testing.
We conclude by reviewing the recommended trigger levels from the World Health Organization, what these mean for the safe management of watercourses, how regular water quality analysis can help, and how best to treat unwanted algal blooms.
In this specialist guide the experts at Water Treatment Services look at the management of recreational water quality standards required to ensure the safety of bathers and other people using inland and coastal water sites throughout the UK.
The guide reviews current regulatory standards, identifies typical contaminants and highlights specific indicator bacteria used to evaluate the safety of both fresh and salt water. The guide also considers the need for specialist recreational water testing, the potential health issues caused by contaminated bathing water and additional safety considerations that need to be taken in to account.