We’ve had a dry start to the year in Lancashire, but towards the end of May, the rain returned, and the Stormwater Shepherds team were out taking samples of highway runoff in several places. We got some good samples that have helped us to maintain the pressure on the Environment Agency and National Highways to change the way that they manage highway runoff. If we take samples that prove the extent of the pollution, it gives us a platform to advocate from, at conferences and trade events.
Alongside the river sampling we’ve carried out, we were very lucky to see an Aquawatch continuous water quality monitor be deployed in the River Darwen in Walton le Dale, near Preston. This device measured the quality of the river water for 6 weeks and we were able to see how the river responds to rainfall.
On top of that, we‘ve also been able to take samples of the insects that live in the River Lostock both above and below the motorway outfall. Later this year, the insects will be examined to see if there is any measurable difference between the two sites. These insects will be examined down a microscope to see if they are deformed, too small or affected by parasites.
By pulling all the results from this sampling together, we are starting to unpick the details of pollution from highway runoff. This information creates the foundation that we need to underpin our arguments that we present to DEFRA, to the Agency and to highway authorities across the UK. We need to see the treatment of highway runoff at many more outfalls, delivered at pace in the next decade or we will not achieve the improvements in river health that we want to.
