What do horses, golf courses, graveyards and playing fields have in common?

At Stormwater Shepherds UK, we have been considering sources of pollution in urban areas recently, with a particular focus on sources of nutrient pollution. Horses kept in paddocks and stables in towns and suburbs can definitely create polluted runoff, especially as they rarely have enough land to dispose of their manure easily. Another urban source of pollution is the use of pesticides to keep grassed areas and flower beds tidy, including graveyards and parks, where weedkillers are often sprayed around grave-edges and footpaths to keep them clear of weeds. Grass-clippings and collected autumn leaves are sometimes left to compost in quiet corners, creating a polluted leachate that quietly washes into drains and streams. Playing fields are treated with pesticides and fertilisers, contributing to nutrient pollution too. And some playing fields are created from astro-turf which sheds thousands of microplastic particles into the environment. Golf courses use lots of fertilisers too, to keep the greens green! These sources of pollution may seem small, but added together, we think that they are contributing a large amount of pollution to urban rivers across the UK. There are over 1 million ponies and horses, over 15,000 cemeteries and graveyards and 1900 golf courses across the UK so that could be a lot of pollution. We have recently completed some sampling of the runoff from Southampton Municipal Golf Course and we will repeat the sampling in the summer. This will help us to see if the nutrient pollution from the golf course is significant and, if it is, we can create some guidance for golf course operators to help them to reduce that pollution and to save water on their golf courses too. At Stormwater Shepherds, we are keen to keep the focus on all sources of pollution, and to look for cost-effective solutions, so that all the attention isn’t always given to the biggest sources of pollution. Can you think of other sources of pollution in the towns and villages where you live? Send us a message if you think of other sources that you think we should be investigating.