Old West River Water Body
Moderate ecological status
Get Old West River data
Attributes
- Water Body IDGB205033043375
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRTL4020674016
- Catchment area194.224 km2
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
- Catchment area19422.354 ha
- Length40.949 km
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate |
| Biological quality elements | Good |
| Invertebrates | Good |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | |
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Poor |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | High |
| Dissolved oxygen | Moderate |
| Phosphate | Moderate |
| Temperature | High |
| pH | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Moderate |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Moderate or less |
| Specific pollutants | High |
| 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid | High |
| Chromium (VI) | High |
| Copper | High |
| Iron | High |
| Manganese | High |
| Mecoprop | High |
| Permethrin | High |
| Triclosan | High |
| Zinc | High |
| Chemical | Fail |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (Priority hazardous) | Good |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good |
| Nonylphenol | Good |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Fail |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail |
| Tributyltin Compounds | Good |
| Priority substances | Fail |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Fail |
| Fluoranthene | Good |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
| Classification Element | Cycle | Year | Status | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dissolved oxygen | 2 | 2014 | Poor | Quite certain there is a problem |
Reasons for not achieving good (RNAG) and reasons for deterioration (RFD)
All reasons (RFDs and RNAGs) attributed to the classification elements in this water body.
| Reason Type | SWMI | Activity | Category | Classification Element | More information |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
| RFD | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Low Flow (not drought) | No sector responsible | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Agriculture and rural land management | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Flow | Land drainage | Agriculture and rural land management | Dissolved oxygen | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Local and Central Government | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Recreation | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (intermittent) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
Reasons for not achieving good status by business sector
The issues preventing waters reaching good status and the sectors identified as contributing to them. The numbers in the table are individual counts of the reasons for not achieving good status with a confidence status of 'confirmed' and 'probable', where the latest classification is less than good status. There may be more than one reason in a single water body. Note, table does not include reasons for deterioration.
| Significant water management issue | Physical modifications | Pollution from waste water | Pollution from towns, cities and transport | Changes to the natural flow and level of water | Invasive non-native species | Pollution from rural areas | Pollution from abandoned mines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture and rural land management | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Industry | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mining and quarrying | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Navigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Urban and transport | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water Industry | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Local & central government | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domestic general public | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Recreation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Waste treatment and disposal | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No sector responsible | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sector under investigation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Biological quality elements | Good | 2015 | |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Not assessed | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Moderate | 2021 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Phosphate | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Temperature | Good | 2015 | |
| pH | Good | 2015 | |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | 2015 | |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Specific pollutants | High | 2015 | |
| 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid | High | 2015 | |
| Chromium (VI) | High | 2015 | |
| Copper | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Manganese | High | 2015 | |
| Mecoprop | High | 2015 | |
| Permethrin | High | 2015 | |
| Triclosan | High | 2015 | |
| Zinc | High | 2015 | |
| Chemical | Good | 2063 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Priority hazardous substances | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time; Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Benzo (b) and (k) fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo (ghi) perelyene and indeno (123-cd) pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Cadmium and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (Priority hazardous) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | 2015 | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | 2015 | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Nonylphenol | Good | 2015 | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Good | 2039 | Technically infeasible: No known technical solution is available |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Good | 2063 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| Tributyltin Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Priority substances | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Lead and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Nickel and Its Compounds | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ely Ouse and Cut-off channel NVZ | S390 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Huntingdon River Gravels | G144 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Ouse Washes | UK9008041 | Special Protection Area | Natural England |
| Ouse Washes | UK11051 | Ramsar Site | Natural England |
| Old West & Ely Ouse | UKENRI90 | Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive |
Monitoring sites which have been used to classify this water body
Shows which sites were used for classification for which years within each cycle.