Water Authorities Are Facing Growing Pressure To Tackle High Nitrate Levels, Caused By Pollution From Farm Chemicals

Interviews about a new EEC Directive on nitrates in the water supply.

Scenes of crop spraying of farmland from a tractor. Anglia TV reporter Greg Barnes says that nitrate levels in water in the East Anglian region have risen steadily over the past ten years, mainly due to increased use of farm fertilisers which are washed off the land into the rivers and waterways. A new European Economic Community directive sets a maximum concentration of 50 milligrams per litre of water, with a guide level of half that amount which should be adopted as standard. Exterior views of the Anglian Water Authority Sewage Treatment Works at Spalding, Lincolnshire. Anglian Water admit that nitrate concentration frequently exceeds the recommended level, and they are asking for an government exemption from the requirements of the directive. Nigel Callaghan of the Ecology Party says that Anglian Water are supplying polluted water and want to continue to do so without observing the guidance on safe levels of nitrate concentrations. The Ecology Party say nitrates are known to produce chemicals in the body which cause cancer in animals and contribute to blue baby syndrome in young children. Anglian Water Authority denies that consumers are in any danger. Spokesman Alan Tetlow says that government data suggests the levels of gastric cancer in the East Anglian region are low. Nitrate levels are a concern regarding blue baby syndrome, but not at the nitrate levels in the region over the past ten years. Reducing nitrate levels in the long term will cost £60 million capital expenditure plus additional £4.5 million operating costs each year. He suggests this additional cost to the consumer should be delayed until better medical evidence is established. This short video was made to be shown in a news story on Anglia Television early evening news / magazine programme About Anglia.

Keywords

Water; Water quality; Water pollution; Water supply; Nitrates; Environmental pollution