On the weekend of 18-21 September we took part in Earthwatch’s Autumn Freshwater Watch. Like thousands of other volunteers across the UK, we tested samples of water from local freshwater rivers and lakes, looking for signs of excessive nitrates or phosphates.

WHY DO WE DO IT? Excessive nutrients, particularly nitrates and phosphates, present a big threat to our freshwater supplies. Both occur naturally in the environment and healthy freshwater ecosystems usually have small amounts of these nutrients which help to sustain aquatic plant life. However, human activity on land can cause unnaturally high levels of nutrients to build up. Nitrates and phosphates are commonly present in domestic and industrial waste and sewage, as well as in the fertilisers that wash off farmland. Therefore, by understanding which areas are being affected by pollution, we can direct targeted mitigation to improve water quality and protect freshwater environments.

We tested two sites:

a) Dalwhat Water, under Bobby’s Brig, close to the John Corrie Wildlife Garden

b) Castlefairn Water, under Blackstone Bridge.

Each kit supplied by Earthwatch comes with precise instructions on how to mix the two phials of reagent powder with the water samples. We then checked the samples against the colour chart. The whole process takes about 15 minutes per site. Finally, once back home, we submitted our results to Earthwatch, for inclusion on their interactive map.

We are pleased to say that both our sites showed neglible traces of nitrates and phosphates.

You can see the results, and find out more about Freshwater Watch here:

https://www.freshwaterwatch.org/pages/explore-our-data

Thanks to our youth volunteer, Xenia, for coming out on a particular wet weekend, to help us with the tests!