Grants used to improve Thames water quality

In a bid to improve the groundwater quality of rivers in the Thames region, the Environment Agency has pledged to spend more than £200,000 on tackling contamination.

Awards totalling £217,000 have been distributed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to help fight Urban Diffuse Pollution (UDP) in the Thames region.

Project manager Stephanie Ryall said that UDP is a blight on environmental health, but that these funds will help deal with the problem upfront and achieve good ecological status in rivers.

"It is fantastic that we have got these grants and they will help make our rivers cleaner and more attractive for everyone," she stated.

UDP is frequently widespread within a particular river catchment and comes from a number of sources including atmosphere, industry and homeowners.

A coherent structure within which UDP problems can be managed are laid out in a dossier entitled the Water Framework Directive.

Written by Claire Manning