Biodiversity and Stream Water Quality Case Study
Project: Monitoring Biodiversity and Stream Water Quality
Client: Cumbria Waste Management
The Challenge
The continued development and remediation of a major Cumbrian landfill site required an effective long-term solution to dispose of water from surface runoff, which could carry high levels of suspended sediment. Cumbria Waste Management, as site operators, needed to assure the Environment Agency that their disposal method comprised the Best Practicable Environmental Option.
The Solution
Working with the client’s managers and engineers, we designed and implemented a monitoring programme to determine the current biodiversity and quality of the watercourse adjacent to the landfill site.
These studies demonstrated that the biota of the watercourse were well adapted to a changing environment and did not contain species that would be strongly affected by suspended sediments contained in water from surface runoff.
We also conducted a programme of environmental monitoring, evaluating the levels of suspended sediments in the watercourse by use of an automatic monitor which could detect short term variations in the suspended sediment load.
We were able to use these data to develop a numerical model to assess the effects of discharges into the receiving water. The model was run for a range of different discharge scenarios (including extreme rainfall events) to determine the resulting levels of suspended solids in the watercourse. This information was used to select an appropriate and cost effective treatment system, which would ensure the continued health of the environment.
The Benefits
- The client has been able to design a cost effective treatment system for surface runoff water that protected the environment and also was a sustainable long-term solution for the site.
- The work has furthered the understanding of the impacts of the site on the local environment and has enabled the client to engage more knowledgeably with the environmental regulator.