The first Great UK WaterBlitz launched to assess our rivers status

EarthWatch is launching the largest citizen science freshwater testing campaign to help build a national picture of the water quality throughout the UK.

On the weekend of June 7 to 10, 2024, people signing up for the Great UK WaterBlitz will receive a free sample kit that will allow them to understand the water quality of their nearby rivers.

After gathering a sample of the water and testing it, the data will need to be uploaded via their website or app. 

This will allow EarthWatch to build a snapshot of the water quality of the rivers throughout the UK by taking a few minutes of people’s walk outside.

EarthWatch said that the UK's “rivers and freshwater habitats are at crisis point and we need urgent action.

“With this data, we can fight for real change.”

People participating in the data gathering will need to sample water between June 7 and 10 and then upload the results via the app or website. 

The test only takes 20 minutes to complete. It will measure the levels of nitrate and phosphate in the sampled water.

Nitrate and phosphates are naturally present in the environment but human actions such as sewage or fertiliser can increase the levels in the water and cause high levels of bacteria. It can decrease oxygen in the water and kill plants and animals.

A new report published at the beginning of May by the Office for Environmental Protection shows that “Government and the Environment Agency (EA) are currently not on track to meet the Environmental Objectives.

"The OEP’s worst case assessment would see just 21% of surface waters in Good Ecological state by 2027, representing only a 5% improvement on the current situation.”

In March, a study by the Rivers Trust revealed that Northern Irish rivers failed to meet ‘good’ overall status.

According to the general results of the study on the rivers of Northern Ireland almost ‘70 per cent failed to meet the requirements for good ecological status,’ says the study.

On the biological status side, ‘47 percent of river stretches failed to reach good biological status’.

‘53 percent were given good or high general Physico-Chemical status, which looks at conditions that affect life in the river, such as temperature and nutrient composition’.

In March, Mark Horton, Director of The Rivers Trust All-Ireland and Chief Executive Officer of Ballinderry Rivers Trust talked to the County Derry Post about it. He said that the Rivers Trust report was ‘an alarm bell to every local community, citizen, politician, landowner, and our business community’.

“We need to take collective action now if we want to improve and protect this vital freshwater resource that we all depend on and avert a deepening environmental and ecological crisis,” he said.

To respond to these new studies EarthWatch launches this campaign to truly assess and improve water quality in the UK.

The campaign aims to ‘uncover the secrets hidden underneath the surface and make the invisible, visible.’ 

"We are at a critical juncture where urgent action is needed to safeguard the future of our freshwater ecosystems," said Dr Sasha Woods, Director of Science and Policy at EarthWatch Europe. 

"The Great UK WaterBlitz isn't just about collecting data; it's about catalysing grassroots action and fostering a sense of ownership over our freshwater resources. By engaging citizens across the country, we're not only generating valuable data but also building a movement for change."

All over the UK, EarthWatch said that only 14 percent of the UK's rivers meet the criteria for good ecological health, and none meet the required chemical standards.

EarthWatch’s FreshWater Watch is the UK's largest programme that allows citizens to participate in science water quality testing.

The result will then be online from June 17 on the global map. They will then be used to “provide the Environment Agency with information on rivers they do not monitor, and to inform the Office for Environmental Protection on any activities we suspect are illegal,” it is explained on the website. 

Over a few years, a total of 40,725 sample kits have been used to collect water quality data all over the world.

More information and a sample kit can be requested at earthwatch.org.uk/greatukwaterblitz/