We're looking for pollution hunters

​River Worth Friends are looking for volunteer pollution hunters.

​River Worth Friends are constantly on the lookout for pollution entering the river and often report incidents to the Environment Agency. However this is just done on a rough and ready basis, so we have decided to take a more active approach to pollution spotting.

​The Environment Agency rates the water quality in the Worth as poor, this is particularly due to increased phosphate levels from the from the Oxenhope water treatment works. However there are also 23 combined sewage outlets (CSO's)  emptying into the Worth catchment. This maps shows where they are. If these discharge when it is not raining they are putting raw sewage into the river and is illegal. Data from Yorkshire Water shows that the 23 CSO’s were discharging illegally for 4,563 hours in 2021, that is a lot of poo we need to keep a check on it! (see this blog for more on CSO's) 

CSO discharging in dry weather, this one was in Shipley, not on the Worth.

​To combat this we are setting up a network of volunteers to check the water quality, look for illegally discharging CSO’s and report incidents to the EA. Water quality can be checked by 

monitoring the number invertebrates (bugs) living in the river. Certain bugs are very sensitive to water quality, a sudden drop in numbers can indicate problems, the proverbial canary in the coal mine (see this blog for more on invertebrate sampling). A fall in numbers would be reported to the EA. We have established a number of monitoring sites related to the CSO’s, we just need the volunteers to do the bug sampling. 

Kick sampling North Beck

So we are looking for volunteers. If you are interested we will be having a meeting to explain the scheme at The Bronte Hotel, Lees Lane, Haworth, BD22 8RA, on Thursday 26th January (see flyer below for more details). No experience or special knowledge is required to be a monitor as full training will be given. Joining the monitoring network is a good way to get out by and even in the river and to find out more about the its ecology. Plus you are helping to improve it for the people and wildlife.

​​Looking forward to seeing you at the Bronte on the 26th.
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