Water pollution in the UK has become a headline issue in recent years, with some water companies accused of dumping waste in our rivers, lakes and seas. There is now real political and societal desire to improve water pollution in the UK, which will take multi-billion pound investment at national level. But that is not to say that we at home cannot make a contribution to cleaning up our waterways to preserve wildlife and ensure clean drinking water for generations to come.
In this article, we are going to discuss the reasons for water pollution and the effects of water pollution, before outlining some ways we can reduce water pollution at home with a focus on rainwater harvesting.
Reasons for Water Pollution in the UK
To fully understand water pollution, we need to explore how and why it is happening in the UK and why it has been getting worse. There are four main causes of water pollution in this country, namely sewage overflows, agricultural runoff, industrial discharge and litter. Let’s unpack each cause and explain how they contribute to river pollution.
Sewage Overflows
Sewage overflow happens when the mains sewage system can no longer cope with the amount of water and waste being fed into the system. This can be due to overuse of water in households and commercial properties, but also in extreme weather events which are becoming more common as a result of climate change. Known as combined sewer overflows (CSOs), there are emergency release valves within the mains system which are triggered to prevent burst pipes and system meltdown. Unfortunately, these CSOs empty waste water into rivers, streams and seas, contributing significantly to water pollution.
Agricultural Runoff
As human populations rise and the demand for food has increased, farmers have had to turn to fertilisers and pesticides to produce more food and cope with demand. On top of this, more livestock are being kept in order to produce meat for the population, and livestock create a lot of waste. This combination of pesticides, fertilisers and livestock waste contributes to water pollution as the chemicals within can run off into local streams and rivers during periods of heavy rainfall. This problem is exacerbated by soil erosion as a result of farming, further releasing waste into nearby waterways.
Industrial Discharge
Heavy industry and factories produce a huge amount of waste and pollutants, which also contribute to water pollution. The largest contributors are chemicals used in industrial processes, industrial wastewater produced by processes, heat created by processes and solid waste discharge like sludge and debris. There are regulations that businesses must adhere to in terms of waste discharge, but ultimately some of these pollutants still make their way into waterways either accidentally or deliberately. This contributes to habitat degradation, poisonous contamination, eutrophication like algal blooms and wider public health risks.
Litter
Unfortunately, litter is a simple yet significant factor in the increasing water pollution across the UK. Members of the public drop non-biodegradable litter while out and about, and large amounts of this litter can end up in rivers and seas, further contributing to the issues our waterways face. We’ve all seen images of aquatic wildlife caught in beer can plastic rings or fishing nets and marine habitats destroyed by swathes of litter. It’s on us as a population to stop littering and prevent habitat destruction, degradation of water quality and physical harm to marine wildlife.
Effects of Water Pollution in the UK
Water pollution has a huge impact in three key areas: the environment, the economy and public health. That’s right, it’s not just animals and wildlife who are affected by water pollution, it can also lead to health risks for humans and can have a detrimental impact on the UK economy. So let’s take a look at each of these water pollution effects individually.
Environmental Impacts
The cost of water pollution to the environment is the most widely acknowledged issue in this area. The three most serious environmental impacts of water pollution are habitat destruction, biodiversity loss and food chain disruption. Pollution degrades aquatic habitats and makes them uninhabitable, while algal blooms as a result of chemical pollution are having a real impact in terms of reducing the amount of oxygen in our waterways. This habitat loss and other water pollution factors can lead to population decline, which affects marine ecosystems. And this population decline in turn leads to disruption of the food chain, not just for aquatic life but also birds and other land animals who feed on fish. As you can see, there’s a real vicious cycle which is triggered by water pollution.
Public Health Risks
Our health is also at risk due to pollution of our rivers and water systems, with prolonged exposure to contaminated water proven to carry serious health implications. Water borne diseases that have long-since been effectively eradicated in the UK like cholera, typhoid and dysentery could become a problem again if our water supply continues to be contaminated by waste water. Other potential health hazards caused by polluted water include skin rashes and infections.
Economic Impacts
Pollution costs a lot of money. Remediation and cleaning up of our waterways requires huge investment in advanced infrastructure, which will likely mean a rise in water bills for households all over the country. Water pollution can also have an impact on the economy by discouraging tourism to marine areas, reducing fishing populations for fishing communities and impacting house prices for properties living near polluted waterways. We believe in health over wealth but these economic factors really cannot be ignored either.
Water Pollution Solutions – The Role of Home Rainwater Harvesting
You may be sitting reading this article extremely concerned at the state of UK waterways and wondering “how can we reduce water pollution?” Rainwater harvesting is one of our areas of expertise here at Owls Hall Environmental and we are passionate about the role it can play in reducing domestic water pollution. It’s a relatively cost-effective solution that can have a positive impact on the environment while also reducing your water bills over the long term.
So how does rainwater harvesting work? As the name suggests, rainwater harvesting is the practice of collecting rainwater to harvest and use around the home. This is often achieved through a complete rainwater harvesting system either above ground or below ground, where the water is stored in large tanks to be used for a number of household tasks. The initial installation cost is significant, but over time will easily pay for itself through reduced water bills. A simpler form of rainwater harvesting is the use of water butts fed by drain pipes, which carries lower set up costs.
Harvested rainwater can then be used for a number of purposes, which will reduce your reliance on the mains water supply. One of the real issues in the UK with our water use is that we are using drinking water from the water system for tasks that don’t require it. We should use harvested rainwater for a variety of tasks, from watering plants and washing cars outside to flushing toilets, washing clothes and various other everyday tasks. This would mean we only use drinking water for drinking, reducing the strain on water companies and helping to prevent water pollution spillages. The less pressure there is on our sewage systems, the less chance there is of environmental catastrophes in the form of combined sewage overflows into waterways which have become all too common.
For more information on rainwater harvesting and the benefits it can bring to you, the environment and our society, get in contact with the Owls Hall team who can guide you towards the ideal rainwater collection solution for you.