Tees Water Colour Project

The Tees Water Colour Project (TWCP) aims to link water treatment with upland catchment management by developing, demonstrating and promoting a more holistic approach, to try to address deteriorating water quality at source, in the upstream catchment, and to promote the potential additional benefits of such an approach to the wider environment and to other stakeholders.

This section of the NWL website aims to provide an overview of the aims of the project and regular updates on project progress, throughout the study period, 2005-2010.

Background to the TWCP

Northumbrian Water’s Broken Scar Treatment Works in Darlington supplies some 150 million litres of water per day to households and businesses in Darlington and Teesside. The majority of the water originates from the Upper Tees catchment; land which is in private ownership and is not owned or managed by Northumbrian Water.  Much of the upper catchment is an area of blanket bog, with heather and grass moorland, including 29,000 hectares designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Over the last 30 years, raw water colour levels in the Tees have increased from an average of 60 to 120 hazen at Broken Scar WTW (Figure 1 below).                              
 
Hazen levels are determined by a visual comparison between the colour of a water sample, and that of hazen colour standards, using a spectrophotometer.  The current European Union (EU) Drinking Water Standard for colour is 20 Hazen – a level at which there is no visible sign of colour.  In order to comply with this legislative requirement NWL has made substantial capital investments to improve the treatment of water from the Tees.
 
Such investment has included a change in coagulant from aluminium to ferric sulphate (aiding the removal of unnecessary particles), the installation of a new Granular Activated Carbon treatment plant (removes organic material in filtration process), the management of the subsequent increasing sludge production, as well as increasing energy use associated with these new processes.

What is water colour?

Water colour is caused by the presence of dissolved organic compounds – predominantly humic and fulvic acids, which are the products of decomposition from organic soils.  Water discolouration affects the aesthetic value of our waterways, impacting on the commercial economics of tourism and angling, as well as indicating the declining ecological health of our upland peatlands.
 
The increase in river water colour is a trend that has been reflected in research across the upland areas of the U.K and also in Northern Europe.  Recent research by Fred Worrall at Durham University indicates that, from a study of 315 UK stream and lake catchments, 68% have statistically significant increasing trends of dissolved organic carbon loss.

Northumbrian Water’s response

The standard approach by Northumbrian Water, and other water companies, has been to treat problems of this manner at the point of abstraction (a traditional end-of-pipe solution), which is usually costly to both the company and ultimately our customers. With the current international emphasis on sustainable water management - both social and environmental aspects - currently outlined by the EU’s Water Framework Directive, the Tees Water Colour Project offers a more holistic approach to the water quality issues within the upstream catchment of the River Tees.

Objectives

The Tees Water Colour Project, which is running until 2010, has the following objectives:

• To demonstrate the value of using proactive catchment land management techniques to deliver water colour improvements in the upper Tees.  None of this land is owned by NWL so establishing and maintaining working partnerships with local landowners and partner organisations is essential.
• To demonstrate the potential multiple benefits of taking a holistic approach to sustainable catchment management.
• To identify the costs and benefits of this approach to individual stakeholders.
• To develop a wider model for stakeholder participation and application to other water quality issues to inform the PR09, Water Safety Plan and Water Framework Directive processes.

First year achievements 2005/06

• Gained a broad base of support for the project from relevant organisations and government agencies e.g. Environment Agency, Natural England, DEFRA, RSPB, and North Pennines AONB Partnership.   • Developed a good working relationship with the Peatscapes Project team, (part of the North Pennines AONB Partnership).  This is a larger project covering the whole of the north pennines concentrating on the social and environmental issues of peatland management and conservation.
• Discussions started with an estate in Teesdale to set up a sub-catchment demonstration area, to probably include grip blocking and grazing management.
• Investigation carried out into the empirical relationships between water colour and water treatment costs at three NWL water treatment works.

Second year achievements 2006/07

• Further developed the good working relationship with the Peatscapes Project team.  We have jointly delivered ‘Your land and water colour’ leaflet to raise awareness about water colour as a land management issue.  We have also identified areas for possible grip blocking, for which the Peatscapes Project is taking forwards the negotiations with the relevant land agent and estate.
• Continued discussions with an estate in Teesdale regarding setting up a sub-catchment demonstration area, to include grip blocking and grazing management.
• Continued and extended the investigation into the relationships between water colour and water treatment costs via a modelling exercise.
• Undertook the Upland Land Manager Survey, of nearly 150 land managers in the North Pennines area, relating to their perceptions of the costs, benefits, drivers and constraints relating to changing land management practice.
• Delivered a presentation on catchment work within the water industry, including the Tees Water Colour Project, at a national conference in July 2006.

Third year achievements 2007/08

• Following continued discussions with the estate in Teesdale, we gained permission in November 2007, to go ahead with the proposed grip blocking works over an area of approximately 100ha of moorland during Jan – Mar 2008.
• Grip blocking work commenced in early Jan 2008 and was completed by late Feb – 5583 peat dams installed & 264 grips blocked – a total length of approx. 70km.  Also included some additional grip re-profiling along several larger eroded grips.
• Durham University were commissioned to undertake hydrological monitoring of grip blocking and control sites in two areas of upper Teesdale.  Hydrological monitoring commenced from Aug 07.
• Continued to develop the investigation into the relationships between water colour and water treatment costs via a scenario modelling exercise.
• Produced a summary report of the Upland Land Manager Survey in early Sep 07 and sent this to all survey participants.
• Financially supported the North Pennines AONB Partnership’s Peatscapes Project ‘Peatlands Matters’ Conference in Sep 07.
• Produced a display stand ‘NWL and catchments’ for use at events, and displayed it at the Peatlands Matters event and a biodiversity partnership event.
• Provided information about the Tees Colour Project to Defra’s Peat Project team.
• Have continued to work with the Peatscapes Project team – notably with the Project Officer in delivering the grip blocking work.  

Fourth year achievements 2008/09

• Durham University has continued to undertake hydrological monitoring of the grip blocking and control sites in Lunedale and also at two sites on Cronkley Moor, Upper Teesdale.  At the Cronkley sites they have a full year of pre-blocking data.
• We have funded the replacement of monitoring equipment at both sites, following damage by the severe winter weather conditions.
• Undertook botanical surveys of the grip blocking and control sites at Lunedale and Cronkley Moor.
• We have agreed a licence between ourselves and the Estate in Lunedale regarding access to and monitoring of the grip blocking and control sites.
• We financially supported the final phase of Natural England’s grip blocking work programme at Cronkley Moor.
• 10km of grip blocking was carried out in early 2009 at Waskerley Reservoir, funded by NWL, with the contract managed by Peatscapes. 
• Work started on the ‘Costs, benefits, drivers, constraints, lessons learned’ report for the sub-catchment demonstration. 
• Collated, mapped and charted the Environment Agency’s water colour data (2004 to present) for their sampling sites on the Tees and its tributaries.
• Undertook a data cleansing and updating exercise for NWL’s Tees colour dataset at Broken Scar WTW.
• The North Pennines AONB Partnership started work to develop a stakeholder engagement framework, which is due for completion by June 2009.
• Continued involvement in the Uplands Hydrology Group.
• Have continued to work with the North Pennines AONB Partnership Peatscapes Project team – including supporting a Moorland Tracks Workshop for practitioners in April 2009.  

This year's focus 2009/10

Activity in 09-10 will focus on pulling together project data and outcomes into end of project reports.  Deliverables for 2009-10 include:

• Continuing with the hydrological monitoring and receiving a final report.
• Undertaking a repeat ecological survey of the study site at Cronkley, which was blocked immediately following the initial survey in early 2009.
• Re-visiting some of the earlier operational cost modelling and scenario testing work, using data from the sub-catchment demonstration plots at Cronkley and Lunedale.
• Re-visiting the review of catchment management initiatives carried out in 2005 to see where the field has moved on, and what new policies, academic work and delivery projects are ongoing.
• Completing the work on the development of a best practice stakeholder engagement framework.
• Holding a visit for stakeholders to some of the grip blocking sites.
• Presenting on the project at a regional or national forum.
• Writing up all project activities into end of project reports for various audiences.

Outside of the Tees Water Colour Project, Northumbrian Water will continue to play an active role in promoting upland and peatland hydrology issues, via continued engagement with the Upland Hydrology Group and the North Pennines AONB Partnership Peatscapes Project.  

We also intend to continue with various aspects of the Tees Water Colour project – notably the hydrological and ecological monitoring of restoration sites and our continued support of the Peatscapes Project - over the next few years.

Partners

• Durham University
• North Pennines AONB Partnership - 'Peatscapes Project'
• Environment Agency
• Natural England
• DEFRA
• RSPB