Industry makes treated wastewater data public to support river health policy

The water industry has released data on trace chemicals found in treated wastewater, which was collected for regulatory purposes, to the public.

The Chemical Investigations Programme database at https://ukwir.org/sign-up-and-access-the-chemical-investigations-programme-data-access-portal contains final effluent data from 600 wastewater treatment works in England and Wales that have been investigated over the last five years, with corresponding river quality data from upstream and downstream of where these works are located. The samples taken were analysed for 46 regulated trace substances, 26 substances of emerging concern and 12 supporting measures of wastewater quality, providing a rich source of scientific data.

This is now live and available to anyone to access, from the public at large to academics, consultants, government departments and regulators, aquatic and environmental specialists, local community groups and river partnerships.

UKWIR, which has managed the programme, noted: “Crucially it also provides the evidence needed to help inform future policy decisions about how to regulate these trace chemicals – including metals, fire retardants and biocides, hydrocarbons, pharmaceuticals, hormones and personal care products – and what can be done to reduce concentrations, if needed, so that rivers and streams can be protected.”

Howard Brett, UKWIR programme lead and wastewater policy and strategy manager at Thames Water, said the decision to make the data publicly available was an easy one to make as “it is for the greater good of our nation’s rivers.”