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Scotland's environment watchdog is to continue research on the quality of rivers and burns that flow into the North-east's bathing water. An extensive project carried out last summer has identified key areas for action and further study, stretching from the river Cowie in Stonehaven to the river Nairn.
The research has helped to shed light on one of the threats to water quality at North-east beaches. Over the summer, SEPA staff will continue the programme of taking samples from local rivers and their tributaries to identify problem areas.
This programme will focus on bacteria, which are a factor affecting beach water quality. The research will take place in parallel with existing work to protect and improve the quality of the water environment.
Project officer Gayle Frew of SEPA said: “The study we carried out last year has helped us to pick priorities for action, and we're going to do further research this year. Recently, we’ve seen great improvements in the treatment of sewage and our overall water quality is getting better all the time. But, there are still areas for concern, and this research will be valuable in deciding which of these should be our targets for cost-effective action.
"Pollution in rivers comes from a variety of sources, mainly sewage discharges, agriculture and surface water run-off from built-up areas. We can get a clearer picture of this pollution by analysing the hundreds of samples which will be taken over the next few months.
"The fieldwork should be finished by October. After analysis we will use the information to decide on its priorities for future work. We use a range of data to interpret and predict what happens to the quality of Scotland’s rivers and coastal water. While this project will not provide all of the answers, it is an important part of the jigsaw."
In June, SEPA announced the beginning of its annual bathing water monitoring season. Specially protected beaches will be monitored and assessed for water quality and must meet tough European standards. More information about this is available from www.sepa.org.uk/bathingwaters
The rivers that will be sampled during the project include:
River Nairn
River Deveron (Banff)
Kessock Burn (Fraserburgh)
Water of Cruden (Cruden Bay)
River Ythan
Eigie Burn (Balmedie)
River Don (Aberdeen)
River Cowie (Stonehaven)
River Carron (Stonehaven)
ENDS
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