Pollution
Pollution control - WaterPollution control - Water
||A number of agencies deal with water quality issues, including the council. If you need to report an issue with water quality, refer to the information below and contact the appropriate agency.
If the Council needs to be involved, please contact Environmental Health to report the issue.
Drinking Water Quality
The Drinking Water Inspectorate, a government agency, checks that water companies supply water that is safe and wholesome. Each water company is also required to provide local authorities with information about the quality of water supply serving its area. Severn Trent Water Limited (STWL) is responsible for the public or mains water supply within Ashfield. If you have any concerns about water quality you should first of all contact STWL on 0800 783 4444 . However, if you think that a problem has not been rectified, Ashfield District Council may be able to assist by sampling the supply and/or carrying out other investigations. If a problem is confirmed, the council can raise the issue with STWL on your behalf. There is no charge for this service.
Private Water Supplies
The Private Water Supplies Regulations 1991 require the Council to monitor private water supplies. The monitoring regime uses a "risk based" sampling frequency which depends upon the number of people served by the supply and the source of the water. The parameters tested are mainly microbiological, as well as some chemical parameters such as nitrate and lead. There are only two private water supplies within the district of Ashfield.
Swimming Pools
Swimming is an enjoyable and healthy pastime undertaken by many people. However, swimming pools can be a source of infection if the water is not effectively treated. It is therefore necessary to continually examine the chemical and bacteriological quality of the water to ensure it is safe for use. The monitoring of the swimming pool water is the responsibility of the pool operator and daily sampling is undertaken by simple tests at the poolside. Further chemical and bacteriological samples are taken for more thorough analyses. As a basic public health measure, the council are developing a monitoring strategy to over check the quality of swimming pool waters on a monthly basis.
Recreational Water Quality
Lakes, rivers and seas are used for a variety of recreational activities including swimming, diving, fishing and sailing. If these activities are to be enjoyed safely, attention must be given to health hazards such as sewage pollution and excessive growth of toxic cyanobacteria, as well as to the prevention of accidents.
The Environment Agency is the main custodian of controlled waters within the environment. However, the Council monitor water quality which is used for recreational activities such as water sports and sailing and as such monitoring is undertaken each year at King's Mill reservoir. The water is checked for levels of microbiological pollution and throughout the summer for signs of blue-green algae.
It is intended that the 2005 water samples will be assessed against the classification of the water quality determined according to the microbiological quality. These classifications are excellent, satisfactory and poor and are based on the European Union Bathing Water Directive. Although the Directive is not strictly applicable because the reservoir is not used for bathing, it is the only official system currently available to classify the safety and cleanliness of recreational waters.
EU Standard | Faecal Coliforms | Total Coliforms |
|---|---|---|
Excellent | <100 | <500 |
Satisfactory | <2000 | <10000 |
Poor | >2000 | >10000 |
Figures are colony forming units (cfu) per 100ml of water.
Blue/Green Algae
Blue Green algae are not true algae, but are more properly photosynthetic bacteria and can also be called cyanobacteria. They are commonly found in lakes, ponds and wetlands. They usually occur in small numbers and are invisible to the casual observer. When conditions are favorable (most often during hot, calm weather), algae increase dramatically and they become easy to see. This condition is generally called a bloom. When blue-green algal blooms occur, huge numbers of algae accumulate on the surface the water resembling thick "pea soup" and are often blue-green in colour. As well as being unsightly, blue-green algal blooms may be toxic if ingested by wildlife, livestock, or humans. After ingesting water containing toxic blue-green algae, skin rashes symptoms such as fever, dizziness, stomach cramps, vomiting or sore throat may persist for several days in humans.
When blue-green algae is identified in the reservoir is above the World Health Organisation threshold for recreational waters, warning notices are positioned around the reservoir and restrictions placed on access until the concentration of algae have returned to a safe level. Short and long term preventative measures are being taken to control annual blue-green algae blooms in King's Mill reservoir which have included successful treatments using Barley Straw in 2004.
The Environment Agency provide information regarding blue-green algae.
If you require any further information, please contact Environmental Health.
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