ResilienTogether is creating a Smart Catchment using innovations in technology and practices to reduce flood risk, enhance the water environment and improve community resilience in the Pix Brook catchment.
ResilienTogether undertook water quality sampling for a nine month period at eight sites along the Pix Brook. This provided a baseline water quality for a range of determinants. This Pix Piece focuses on the Phosphate Levels in the Pix Brook, what they mean and why Phosphate levels are important.
Read more about Phosphates, and its affects on the Pix Brook: Pix Brook Water Quality: Phosphates- Pix Piece #06
Phosphate is the natural source of phosphorous. Phosphorous is often called a ‘legacy contaminant’ in river sediments, as it can affect water quality for a long time after it enters a river systems. There are many sources of phosphorus in rivers. Phosphate is produced naturally in animal waste, but most phosphate contamination comes from human activities. These include agricultural and urban run-off, industrial and domestic sewage, or faulty or overloaded septic systems.
Phosphate concentrations vary along the Pix Brook. Four sites (Hillshott, Industrial Outfall, Wilbury Road and Reservoir) have an average that is classified as “poor”, the remaining four sites have an average which are classified as “bad”. The samples taken from the Norton Common inlet site had higher levels on average compared to the other sites. This indicates a potential source of contamination entering the Pix Brook between Hillshott and Norton Common. The concentration of phosphorous increases considerably downstream of the water recycling centre as phosphorous is likely to be entering the watercourse here in the effluent. Runoff from farmland around Stotfold and Arlesley could also be contributing to elevated levels in the Pix as many fertilisers used in farming contain phosphates.