4 February 2023
The initiative by Green Party members to investigate water quality in creeks and streams around Faversham has taken off. Friends of the Westbrook and Stonebridge Ponds and the Faversham Creek Trust have joined us and volunteers have been recruited from all three organisations. We are looking at waterways from Oare Creek to Seasalter, including the chalk streams that feed into them.
Faversham Sewage Works outflow into the creek
Coordinated by Green Party members, trained and advised by our specialists, volunteers started testing the outflow from the Faversham Creek sewage works for Phosphates, Nitrates and Ammonia in December. Given the freezing weather we’ve done well to test once or twice a week, with testers going in pairs for safety. These first tests are relatively cheap and simple to use. Tests for E. coli will start soon, purchased with a grant of £500 from Swale Green Party. These are more costly, complex tests but don’t need to be sent to laboratories for results which is even more costly.
The sewage works outflow was chosen to start with as we know from Environmental Information Requests that it pours out partially treated sewage with substantial volumes of E. coli and is not treated for phosphates or nitrates which come from our cleaning products. We found some worrying results from the simple colour coded tests we use.
This cocktail of chemicals and bacteria, as well as a possible threat to health when added to the raw sewage spills from the 5 combined sewer outfalls in the creek, together with runoff from agriculture, is a source of eutrophication - oxygen starvation- which damages plant and fish life in the estuary.
This is a start; results will take time to accumulate. If you’re interested in volunteering please do contact us at membership@swale.greenparty.org.uk. Training on how to do the water testing is readily available. You will be part of an enthusiastic team, gathering this essential data. And further down the line is the exciting prospect of working with the Zoological Society of London to map pollution across the Swale and Medway with a view to restoration of seagrass meadows and oyster beds. Critically important sea grass meadows capture carbon 30 times more effectively than rainforest and offer hope for rebuilding marine biodiversity and regeneration.
Testing the water
Sign up for updates
Find out more
