This page introduces our water quality testing work. We want to understand the sources of the poor water quality in our local rivers so we can get the pollution stopped.
You can see the test results from our monitoring on the Cam and its tributories here and the weekly test results from the monitoring Anglian Water did for us Sept 2022- Oct 2023 here. Now that we’ve achieved Bathing Water Designation, you can see the Environment Agency’s test results here
Our advice to swimmers is here and our reports here
CVF’s two main concerns are the health risk from bacteria and viruses from human and animal faecal sources, and secondly the detrimental effects of eutrophication. Eutrophication is the process by which rivers become excessively enriched with minerals and nutrients such as nitrate and phosphate. This has a significant detrimental effect on the ecological balance of the river and increases the growth of algae and invasive plants such as Floating Pennywort. Excessive plant growth reduces biodiversity, sensitive plants suited to low nutrients decline, and plant decomposition by bacteria results in reduced oxygen levels which harms invertebrates, fish and other wildlife.
We all want Chalk streams – and the Cam is one in its upper reaches – to be crystal clear and unpolluted. We all want the Cam to become cleaner and less eutrophic. This needs both less pollution, and clean water to dilute and wash away contamination. However, in summer the water levels in our aquifier are now so low that the “natural” flow rate reduces significantly, which increases the concentrations of organisms arising from sewage effluent, of soluble nutrients and of other pollutants. In an attempt to maintain river flows and reduce the concentrations to permitted levels, water is pumped out of the aquifier into the rivers.
This circular process of abstracting scarce water from the aquifer and then augmenting the Chalk streams is ecological madness: we need to reduce the pollution at source.
To try to find out where the pollution is coming from locally, we are monitoring water quality. To explore faecal contamination, we are taking water samples at strategic points and having them analysed for E. coli and intestinal enterococci bacteria, which is well recognised as a reliable indicator of human faeces (poo) contaminating the water. We are also sampling for phosphate and nitrate.
You can see the test results from our monitoring on the Cam and its tributories here and the weekly test results from the monitoring Anglian Water did for us Sept 2022- Oct 2023 here. Now that we’ve achieved Bathing Water Designation, you can see the Environment Agency’s test results here
Do join us.
We are grateful to our sponsors and supporters for funding this work
2022 sponsors and supporters
Newnham Riverbank Club.
Other anonymous donors
2021 sponsors and supporters
