Environmental Monitoring

Water quality and environmental monitoring

We have a very successful track record of conducting a wide range of water quality monitoring programmes and investigations across the UK. We offer bespoke monitoring programmes, design, sampling, analysis and comprehensive reporting services including:

• Effluents, discharge and environmental permit monitoring
• Aquatic ecology
• River, lake and pond water quality monitoring
• Bathing water monitoring
• Aquatic incident response and hydrogen peroxide dosing

Effluents, discharge and environmental permit monitoring

There are over 100,000 environmental permits in place for consented discharges to controlled waters in the UK alone as well as for businesses producing trade effluents. These discharges will have quality conditions assigned and non-compliance can lead to prosecution and fines.

We can design a monitoring programme according to your needs and conduct sampling and analysis to ensure you remain compliant. We also provide interpretation of results with advice of compliance failures solutions to improve the quality of your effluent in a comprehensive report.

Aquatic ecology

Our ecologists assess a wide range of ecological indicators such as aquatic macro-invertebrates, macrophytes, diatoms, plankton and fish to help you understand the status of the ecology in a water body. Our expert staff are able to assess a range of habitats including rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, and tidal or marine environments linking the aquatic ecology to habitat availability, flow and water quality.

Our services include:

• Routine and investigative monitoring
• Post-pollution assessments
• Sampling, analysis and interpretation of macro-invertebrate samples using BMWP and ASPT scoring
• Prediction and classification of macro-invertebrate samples using RIVPACS and new RICT (developed for SNIFFER by CEH)
• Sampling, analysis and interpretation of diatom samples for Trophic Diatom Index (TDI) following DARES/DALES
• Low flow and drought impact monitoring using LIFE (Lotic Index for Flow Evaluation) methodology
• Upland and lowland river macrophyte surveys using the Mean Trophic Rank (MTR) methodology
• Specialist data analysis and reporting
• Phytoplankton, zooplankton and blue-green algae surveys

River, lake and pond water quality monitoring

We can design monitoring programmes to sample, analyse and provide results and advice in a comprehensive report on how to maintain and improve water quality. If required, we can provide advice of compliance failures and provide solutions for improving the quality of your effluent.

Bathing water monitoring

The European Union Bathing Water Directive sampling season for inland and coastal bathing waters is between May and September each year. In addition, lakes, rivers and seas are used for a variety of recreational activities and immersion sports including swimming, diving, fishing and sailing.

There may be adverse health effects associated with recreational use if health hazards are present such as (sewage) pollution, toxic cyanobacteria and blue-green algae. Using Bathing Water Directive sampling methodology and UKAS ISO 17025 accredited laboratories, we are able to design and implement a monitoring programme to provide you with the information required to make evidence-based decisions on improving water quality.

Aquatic incident response and hydrogen peroxide dosing

Applying hydrogen peroxide is a fast and effective way to boost oxygen levels in water bodies in an environmental emergency situation. It can provide rapid relief for aquatic life where pollutants or natural events cause acute reductions in dissolved oxygen levels. This can help to prevent mortalities of fish and damage to other aquatic life, while assisting the natural recovery of the ecosystem.

Hydrogen peroxide is also useful in controlling algal and bacterial growth to improve water quality for open water swimming and immersion sports. We are also able to provide conventional aeration systems to alleviate the effects of environmental incidents or natural events.

We provide a safe and effective aeration and hydrogen peroxide application service throughout the UK with rapid response times.

We offer the following services:

• 24-7 UK wide response
• Hydrogen peroxide application and monitoring
• Direct dosing from boats or bankside
• Automated dosing systems
• Post-application monitoring of residual hydrogen peroxide levels (Environment Agency requirement)
• Water quality monitoring
• GIS-based calculations of waterbody volumes and dose rates
• Aeration systems
• Ecological Impact Assessment for:
  • Fish
  • Aquatic macro-invertebrates
  • Aquatic macrophytes
  • Protected species
• Liaison with regulatory bodies