Did you know your everyday activities at home can cause river pollution? Even if you live miles from your local watercourse, what goes down your toilet and drains can end up in our rivers and cause problems for species that call the water home.
Vicky spoke to Sally Clayton, Senior River Restoration Officer, and Kasia Kordybacha, River Engagement Officer, from Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust’s Love Your River Stour team to ask what small changes we can all make to improve conditions for the species living in and around our rivers.
Q. What sort of pollutants can be found in our rivers?
A. Sally said: “Some of the most common pollutants we see come from sewage discharges. When water company processing plants are overwhelmed, or if there is an issue such as a blockage preventing waste from going further in the system, raw sewage is discharged directly into our rivers.
“As well as raw sewage, we see urban waste including industrial chemicals, road runoff such as fuel and oil, car products including de-icer and cooking oils.”
Q. How important is it not to cause blockages or wastewater to help prevent river pollution?
“Very important! Unfortunately, if people flush things such as sanitary items, condoms and baby wipes, blockages can occur which is why our message is to always dispose of such items in household waste. This includes some that claim to be flushable as they are often too slow to biodegrade and they contain harmful chemicals.
“And yes, wasting water leads to more going to processing plants, increasing the likelihood of overwhelm and raw sewage discharges into the river.”
Kasia added: “It’s not only important to consider what you put down your toilet. Cooking fats and oils put down drains can also cause issues, along with cleaning products. These are particularly damaging if products contain more than 5% phosphate. Some pipes in houses are misconnected, meaning foul waste can end up in storm drainage.”
Q. What sort of issues can river pollution cause?
Kasia said: “The river is home to all sorts of species including fish, invertebrates and mammals that need clean, oxygenated water to survive. If the water quality is poor, bacteria and diseases can make them poorly or it can even kill them. Species won’t be able to thrive and will die out.”
Sally added: “As rivers flow into the sea, the wider aquatic environment can be affected by activities in the home too.”
Q. What habits do we need to change with regards to our toilets and drains?
A. Sally said: “People I speak to are often surprised that what they do in their homes can increase river pollution, but with a few habit changes, we can all make a big difference.
“Firstly, remember the four Ps – pee, paper (as in toilet paper), puke and poo! Only these should ever be flushed down the toilet. Some people think a flushed item is ‘out of sight, out of mind’ but that isn’t always the case. Something like an overflowing toilet or blockage can lead to costly and disruptive repairs. I can’t imagine the smell, mess and germs if your toilet overflowed, but it does happen
Sally Clayton
“Also, oils and fats can be mopped up with kitchen roll and put in the bin rather than washed down the kitchen sink or put into the dishwasher with pots and pans.”
Kasia added: “We also ask that people limit water usage and there are lots of ways to do that, including collecting rainwater to use in the garden and to wash your car. You can also get a device from most water companies to put in your toilet cistern to lower the amount of water used per flush.
“Even turning off the tap when you brush your teeth can make a difference when you consider water consumption across months and years.”
Sally finished the interview by reminding everyone to check the amount of phosphate in their cleaning products (5% or over is harmful) and ensuring their pipes are all plumbed in correctly so that waste is disposed of appropriately.
Birmingham and Black Country Wildlife Trust is one of 46 independent Wildlife Trusts working to make the UK a better place for people and wildlife.
For more information, visit HERE or find your local Wildlife Trust HERE