PAN-EUROPEANWATERBLITZ

Autumn 2019

Thank you to everyone who took part in Earthwatchrsquos first ever Pan-EuropeanWaterBlitz Alongside our ninth Thames WaterBlitz Paris Luxembourg andDublin all had their own WaterBlitz events Read on to find out why we arecollecting data and what we are doing with it

What are we measuring

The most common pollutants in European fresh waters are the nutrients nitrates and phosphates These nutrients can cause algae and certain species of plants to grow very quickly leading to decreased levels of oxygen in the water reductions in biodiversity and in extreme cases large-scale fish kills By measuring these nutrients alongside some other basic indicators of ecosystem health we can start to build a detailed picture of where our water is being affected by pollution and where there are clean waterbodies that we need to protect

Why are we measuring

Most of our rivers ponds lakes and other waterbodies across Europeare not of lsquogood statusrsquo meaning they are suffering from the effects ofpollution and other human impacts Many waterbodies are notregularly monitored There arenrsquot enough scientists to carry out thelevel of monitoring needed which is why we have asked you thepeople who rely on these waterbodies to help us understand andprotect them

945measurements

takenvolunteers

taking part

1105

1st2nd 3rd

Least litter recorded of records where litter

was observed

4th

Luxembourg8Thames

14Dublin34

Paris38

What was around you Who had the least litter

In our four areas Earthwatch volunteers are working with scientistsgovernments and agencies to monitor water quality all year round Thesepeople are working together to answer specific questions about localfreshwater issues Your measurements have helped us to provide a largeamount of data to each of these local research projects allowing a muchmore detailed picture to be built about water quality across Europe Here wehave displayed our initial findings made using your data

How do we use your data

Your data is now available to anyone who wants to use it In the past data fromour WaterBlitzes and from our regular FreshWater Watch monitoring has beenused to write scientific papers on a variety of topics and to help empower localcommunities to understand and change water quality issues in their areas

Dublin had the lowest measurements of pollution but floating algaewas reported in the highest percentage of sites This could mean thatthe waterbodies in Dublin are naturally more vulnerable to nutrientpollution than the other areas monitored

What does your data show

Many volunteers taking part in the WaterBlitz observed floating algaeFloating algae growth can be caused by high levels of nutrients in thewater The excess nutrients allow algae to multiply very quicklywhich blocks out the light for other plants As the algae die anddecompose the decay process uses up the oxygen that animals livingin the water need to breathe

What did you tell us about your findings

Villagers in Oxfordshire took measurements to show the importance of their heritage watercress beds in improving downstream water quality This area is not normally monitored so this data can be used to help protect these valuable ecosystems

One Thames WaterBlitzer took measurements at each of the points where the river Glymeenters and exits the Blenheim Park lakes They found that water leaving the lakes had almost no nitrate compared to the other measurement points

During the Dublin WaterBlitz local councillors took measurements on the River Boyne (County Louth) before and after heavy rainfall on Saturday They observed huge differences in phosphates and nitrates after the rain Our research partners at Dublin City University suspect this will be echoed across the city and would like to use the data to convince local authorities to adapt their monitoring strategies accordingly

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

Thank you to everyone who took part in Earthwatchrsquos first ever Pan-EuropeanWaterBlitz Alongside our ninth Thames WaterBlitz Paris Luxembourg andDublin all had their own WaterBlitz events Read on to find out why we arecollecting data and what we are doing with it

What are we measuring

The most common pollutants in European fresh waters are the nutrients nitrates and phosphates These nutrients can cause algae and certain species of plants to grow very quickly leading to decreased levels of oxygen in the water reductions in biodiversity and in extreme cases large-scale fish kills By measuring these nutrients alongside some other basic indicators of ecosystem health we can start to build a detailed picture of where our water is being affected by pollution and where there are clean waterbodies that we need to protect

Why are we measuring

Most of our rivers ponds lakes and other waterbodies across Europeare not of lsquogood statusrsquo meaning they are suffering from the effects ofpollution and other human impacts Many waterbodies are notregularly monitored There arenrsquot enough scientists to carry out thelevel of monitoring needed which is why we have asked you thepeople who rely on these waterbodies to help us understand andprotect them

945measurements

takenvolunteers

taking part

1105

1st2nd 3rd

Least litter recorded of records where litter

was observed

4th

Luxembourg8Thames

14Dublin34

Paris38

What was around you Who had the least litter

In our four areas Earthwatch volunteers are working with scientistsgovernments and agencies to monitor water quality all year round Thesepeople are working together to answer specific questions about localfreshwater issues Your measurements have helped us to provide a largeamount of data to each of these local research projects allowing a muchmore detailed picture to be built about water quality across Europe Here wehave displayed our initial findings made using your data

How do we use your data

Your data is now available to anyone who wants to use it In the past data fromour WaterBlitzes and from our regular FreshWater Watch monitoring has beenused to write scientific papers on a variety of topics and to help empower localcommunities to understand and change water quality issues in their areas

Dublin had the lowest measurements of pollution but floating algaewas reported in the highest percentage of sites This could mean thatthe waterbodies in Dublin are naturally more vulnerable to nutrientpollution than the other areas monitored

What does your data show

Many volunteers taking part in the WaterBlitz observed floating algaeFloating algae growth can be caused by high levels of nutrients in thewater The excess nutrients allow algae to multiply very quicklywhich blocks out the light for other plants As the algae die anddecompose the decay process uses up the oxygen that animals livingin the water need to breathe

What did you tell us about your findings

Villagers in Oxfordshire took measurements to show the importance of their heritage watercress beds in improving downstream water quality This area is not normally monitored so this data can be used to help protect these valuable ecosystems

One Thames WaterBlitzer took measurements at each of the points where the river Glymeenters and exits the Blenheim Park lakes They found that water leaving the lakes had almost no nitrate compared to the other measurement points

During the Dublin WaterBlitz local councillors took measurements on the River Boyne (County Louth) before and after heavy rainfall on Saturday They observed huge differences in phosphates and nitrates after the rain Our research partners at Dublin City University suspect this will be echoed across the city and would like to use the data to convince local authorities to adapt their monitoring strategies accordingly

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

1st2nd 3rd

Least litter recorded of records where litter

was observed

4th

Luxembourg8Thames

14Dublin34

Paris38

What was around you Who had the least litter

In our four areas Earthwatch volunteers are working with scientistsgovernments and agencies to monitor water quality all year round Thesepeople are working together to answer specific questions about localfreshwater issues Your measurements have helped us to provide a largeamount of data to each of these local research projects allowing a muchmore detailed picture to be built about water quality across Europe Here wehave displayed our initial findings made using your data

How do we use your data

Your data is now available to anyone who wants to use it In the past data fromour WaterBlitzes and from our regular FreshWater Watch monitoring has beenused to write scientific papers on a variety of topics and to help empower localcommunities to understand and change water quality issues in their areas

Dublin had the lowest measurements of pollution but floating algaewas reported in the highest percentage of sites This could mean thatthe waterbodies in Dublin are naturally more vulnerable to nutrientpollution than the other areas monitored

What does your data show

Many volunteers taking part in the WaterBlitz observed floating algaeFloating algae growth can be caused by high levels of nutrients in thewater The excess nutrients allow algae to multiply very quicklywhich blocks out the light for other plants As the algae die anddecompose the decay process uses up the oxygen that animals livingin the water need to breathe

What did you tell us about your findings

Villagers in Oxfordshire took measurements to show the importance of their heritage watercress beds in improving downstream water quality This area is not normally monitored so this data can be used to help protect these valuable ecosystems

One Thames WaterBlitzer took measurements at each of the points where the river Glymeenters and exits the Blenheim Park lakes They found that water leaving the lakes had almost no nitrate compared to the other measurement points

During the Dublin WaterBlitz local councillors took measurements on the River Boyne (County Louth) before and after heavy rainfall on Saturday They observed huge differences in phosphates and nitrates after the rain Our research partners at Dublin City University suspect this will be echoed across the city and would like to use the data to convince local authorities to adapt their monitoring strategies accordingly

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

Dublin had the lowest measurements of pollution but floating algaewas reported in the highest percentage of sites This could mean thatthe waterbodies in Dublin are naturally more vulnerable to nutrientpollution than the other areas monitored

What does your data show

Many volunteers taking part in the WaterBlitz observed floating algaeFloating algae growth can be caused by high levels of nutrients in thewater The excess nutrients allow algae to multiply very quicklywhich blocks out the light for other plants As the algae die anddecompose the decay process uses up the oxygen that animals livingin the water need to breathe

What did you tell us about your findings

Villagers in Oxfordshire took measurements to show the importance of their heritage watercress beds in improving downstream water quality This area is not normally monitored so this data can be used to help protect these valuable ecosystems

One Thames WaterBlitzer took measurements at each of the points where the river Glymeenters and exits the Blenheim Park lakes They found that water leaving the lakes had almost no nitrate compared to the other measurement points

During the Dublin WaterBlitz local councillors took measurements on the River Boyne (County Louth) before and after heavy rainfall on Saturday They observed huge differences in phosphates and nitrates after the rain Our research partners at Dublin City University suspect this will be echoed across the city and would like to use the data to convince local authorities to adapt their monitoring strategies accordingly

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

What did you tell us about your findings

Villagers in Oxfordshire took measurements to show the importance of their heritage watercress beds in improving downstream water quality This area is not normally monitored so this data can be used to help protect these valuable ecosystems

One Thames WaterBlitzer took measurements at each of the points where the river Glymeenters and exits the Blenheim Park lakes They found that water leaving the lakes had almost no nitrate compared to the other measurement points

During the Dublin WaterBlitz local councillors took measurements on the River Boyne (County Louth) before and after heavy rainfall on Saturday They observed huge differences in phosphates and nitrates after the rain Our research partners at Dublin City University suspect this will be echoed across the city and would like to use the data to convince local authorities to adapt their monitoring strategies accordingly

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The data from this WaterBlitz (shown above) suggests that mostwaterbodies in the Thames catchment have medium or high nutrientconcentrations with a few low measurements between Oxford andLondon In recent years much work has been done to reduce nutrientconcentrations throughout the Thames Progress is being made but it isclear that much more still needs to be done in this area to improvewater quality

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

In the Thames Valley the population is growingleading to increases in sewage works andinputs into the water systems These changesare having a big impact on water quality

People took part

276samples

taken

432

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

This was the ninth WaterBlitz in the Thames Valley Thanks to theongoing commitment of WaterBlitz volunteers we now betterunderstand some of the issues in the catchment Using WaterBlitz datagathered over the years we can compare different areas to see what ischanging the water quality for better or worse and to informmanagement strategies that will help to improve water quality in thefuture

Over the last six months volunteers from WildOxfordshire have been measuring waterquality in the River Evenlode every monthData from this WaterBlitz will be usedalongside their monthly monitoring data tobetter understand phosphate pollution in thecatchment

ldquoEarthwatch will be working with Wild Oxfordshire theEvenlode Catchment Partnership and Thames Water to puttogether all of the data collected in the Evenlode and acrossthe Thames Valley Together we will use this information tohelp water managers to improve ecology and water healthrdquo ndashDr Isabel Bishop Freshwater Research Manager Earthwatch

Of the sites measured during thisWaterBlitz 22 had also beenvisited in past WaterBlitzesNitrate status showed a changefrom previous measurements in44 of these sites Phosphatestatus changed in 62 of thesesites Now that these sites withchanges have been identifiedEarthwatch scientists can beginto more closely examine thecauses for these changes

The Thames Valley WaterBlitz

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In this WaterBlitz Dublin had a higher proportion of waterbodies with lownutrient status than some of the other areas but nutrient status was stillmostly medium Higher proportions of sites where floating algae wasobserved may indicate that Dublinrsquos freshwater ecosystems are moresensitive to excess nutrients than the other cities

Dublinrsquos river conditions are being compromiseddue to changing land use These changes havehad major impacts on the use of these rivers forrecreation and drinking water supply

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

samples taken

373People took

part

607

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

The Dublin WaterBlitz

In Dublin there was a heavy rain event over the WaterBlitz weekendOften Dubliners expect to see increased signs of nutrient pollutionafter heavy rainfall as phosphates are flushed out from storm drainsinto rivers The timing of the rainfall on the WaterBlitz weekend allowedus to investigate this

In partnership with RBC and Dublin City Universitycitizen scientists in the Backdrop project aremonitoring water quality in Dublin on a regular basisincluding before and after rainfall events If you wantto get involved with the project you can emailwaterinstitutedcuie for more info

ldquoTherersquos been a lot of attention recently on thestate of our water here in Dublin This survey ofour watercourses and water bodies will give us aclear picture of the health of our water detailinghow clean or polluted it isrdquo ndash Prof Fiona Regandirector of the DCU Water Institute

Immediately after the rainduring the Dublin WaterBlitzphosphate levels across thecity decreased This wasprobably due to a dilution effectcaused by increased waterlevels However researchers atDublin City University foundthat nutrient concentrations inrivers increased within 24hours of the rain Thesefindings can now be used toinform future water monitoringand management strategies inthe city

The Luxembourg WaterBlitz

Most of the waterbodies measured in the Luxembourg WaterBlitzwere of medium nutrient status Most of the measurements showing high nutrient status came from the more heavily populated areas particularly around Luxembourg City

Luxembourg has experienced a large populationincrease over the past 20 years leading to anincrease in built up areas and pollutionnegatively impacting biodiversity and waterquality

People took part

153samples

taken

130

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

WaterBlitz data suggests that nutrient concentrations are higher inrivers and streams in Luxembourg than in still waters like ponds andlakes The smaller waterbodies ndash ponds and streams ndash had lowernutrient concentrations than their larger counterparts This data willhelp researchers gain insights valuable for the management ofsmaller waterbodies

Citizen scientists taking part in the University ofLuxembourg and RBCrsquos Nexus Futures project aremonitoring small streams in Luxembourg City once amonth trying to learn more about their importance tonature If you want to join them please email Karl Pickarkarlpickarunilu

ldquoTogether with the citizen scientists we arelearning more about smaller streams inLuxembourg allowing us to investigate the effectsof environmental conditions on nutrient levelsthroughout the countryrdquo ndash Karl Pickar University ofLuxembourg

Much like most of Europe there are many more small streams andponds in Luxembourg than there are bigger rivers These small habitatscan support a lot of wildlife but are generally not considered inlegislation nor are they monitored regularly In Luxembourgresearchers are using the FreshWater Watch method to understandwhat impact we are having on these smaller waterbodies

The Luxembourg WaterBlitz

WaterBlitz data suggests that nutrient concentrations are higher inrivers and streams in Luxembourg than in still waters like ponds andlakes The smaller waterbodies ndash ponds and streams ndash had lowernutrient concentrations than their larger counterparts This data willhelp researchers gain insights valuable for the management ofsmaller waterbodies

Citizen scientists taking part in the University ofLuxembourg and RBCrsquos Nexus Futures project aremonitoring small streams in Luxembourg City once amonth trying to learn more about their importance tonature If you want to join them please email Karl Pickarkarlpickarunilu

ldquoTogether with the citizen scientists we arelearning more about smaller streams inLuxembourg allowing us to investigate the effectsof environmental conditions on nutrient levelsthroughout the countryrdquo ndash Karl Pickar University ofLuxembourg

Much like most of Europe there are many more small streams andponds in Luxembourg than there are bigger rivers These small habitatscan support a lot of wildlife but are generally not considered inlegislation nor are they monitored regularly In Luxembourgresearchers are using the FreshWater Watch method to understandwhat impact we are having on these smaller waterbodies

The Luxembourg WaterBlitz

Paris WaterBlitz

All of the measurements taken during the Paris WaterBlitz showed low or medium nutrient concentrations although some waterbodies had higher concentrations for just one of the two nutrients Although these data have helped to build a picture of water quality in Paris more measurements are still required See next page for details of how you can help

Paris is one of the densest cities in the world with a population of 22 million people living within just over 105km2 Many of Parisrsquo lakes and ponds have been heavily impacted by urban activities and the loss of green buffer areas As a result these areas have seen frequent algal blooms

samples taken

34People took

part

69

High nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels above 5mgl and phosphate levels above 05mgl Low nutrient concentration is classed as any site which had nitrate levels below 05mgl and phosphate levels below 005mglMedium concentration refers to any other combination of nitrate and phosphate levels

50 of the ponds in Paris measured during the WaterBlitz had green

water which is an indication of algal blooms Most of the ponds had

low measurements for Nitrate (NO3-N) and Phosphate (PO4-P) This

could indicate that ponds in Paris are more sensitive to nutrient inputs

that other waterbodies This information is an important first step

towards working out how to improve the health of urban waters in

Paris

Volunteers from the Royal Bank of Canada areworking with researchers from Ecole des Ponts toregularly monitor nutrients and algae in urbanponds across Paris using FreshWater Watch If youwant to join them please emailwaterblitzparisgmailcom

ldquoThis project will provide valuable data for researchers and local managers on the nutrient dynamics of lakes and ponds helping to address algal blooms that occur very frequently on small

urban lakesrdquo ndash Dr Brigitte Vinccedilon Leite Eacutecole des Ponts ParisTech

In Paris researchers at Ecole Des Ponts are monitoring algal blooms

in small ponds and lakes across the city They are combining

WaterBlitz data with regular monitoring data from both citizen

scientists and professional researchers to try to understand how urban

ponds respond to excess nutrient concentrations

Paris WaterBlitz

50 of the ponds in Paris measured during the WaterBlitz had green

water which is an indication of algal blooms Most of the ponds had

low measurements for Nitrate (NO3-N) and Phosphate (PO4-P) This

could indicate that ponds in Paris are more sensitive to nutrient inputs

that other waterbodies This information is an important first step

towards working out how to improve the health of urban waters in

Paris

Volunteers from the Royal Bank of Canada areworking with researchers from Ecole des Ponts toregularly monitor nutrients and algae in urbanponds across Paris using FreshWater Watch If youwant to join them please emailwaterblitzparisgmailcom

ldquoThis project will provide valuable data for researchers and local managers on the nutrient dynamics of lakes and ponds helping to address algal blooms that occur very frequently on small

urban lakesrdquo ndash Dr Brigitte Vinccedilon Leite Eacutecole des Ponts ParisTech

In Paris researchers at Ecole Des Ponts are monitoring algal blooms

in small ponds and lakes across the city They are combining

WaterBlitz data with regular monitoring data from both citizen

scientists and professional researchers to try to understand how urban

ponds respond to excess nutrient concentrations

Paris WaterBlitz

Protect your drains and bin it Find out more on how to dispose of food waste oil wet wipes and sanitary products responsibly here

Think about your food ndash buy local and organic buy less packaged food and waste less- wherever you can

Think about what you buy and where you buy it from buy second hand or better quality where you can so less is ending up in the bin

Cut your plastic footprint by following our advice

If you have a garden or outdoor space ditch the pesticidesand take action for wildlife

Keep helping us monitor and take action on water quality issues in your

area

Register your interest for our next WaterBlitz here

Help us to make our next Blitz even better by taking our feedback survey

What happens next Take action