Grantham RiverCare has opportunities that go further than litter picking

A volunteer’s life can be as interesting as you want it to be - assuming that there are opportunities to grow in the role, writes Ian Simmons from Grantham RiverCare.

Down on the riverbank, some of our volunteers go further than the important job of picking up litter (of all shapes, sizes and descriptions believe us!) by helping to monitor the quality of the river as it flows through Grantham.

We check nine sites around town, including the tributaries that flow into the main course of the Witham. Typically, we measure nitrates and phosphates.

Nitrate results give us an understanding of particular pollution levels. High results are occasionally found after intense or prolonged rain events. Surrounded by arable land as we are, some of the applied fertiliser can be washed from land to river. This is an economic and management issue for the farmer as it is a waste of money and effort, but also an issue for the life that lives on and in the Witham.

High nitrate levels can cause algal blooms which reduce oxygen levels in the water causing respiratory stress to fish and other aquatic life.

Phosphate levels around Grantham are typically at low levels. A high reading would indicate, perhaps, an incorrectly routed drain - or improper disposal of washing water - as phosphates are most often found in detergents.

We also note water temperature, turbidity and the visual state of the sampling point.

April saw us involved in the ‘Great UK WaterBlitz’ initiative, run by the nice people at Fresh Water Watch (FWW) who, in turn, are part of ‘Earthwatch Europe’, a global scheme monitoring water quality across the globe. You can find out more at freshwaterwatch.org.

This time, as part of a nationwide exercise, in addition to our normal testing we were sent special kit to measure E.coli levels across the area. Water samples were taken and incubated for 24 hours to assess the levels around town. We hope to have collated results back next month.

With over 4,000 samples taken by volunteers across the country, no organisation would have the people power to undertake something so geographically vast or, let’s be honest here, expensive, in these straightened times. This ‘free’ labour resource offered by volunteers of all ages allows relevant authorities to assess the ‘state of the nation’, helping inform policy and decision making.

Water is a scarce resource globally. Strategists claim/fear wars will be fought over supplies in the future. Caring for what we have seems a sensible thing to do.