Brain Water Body
Moderate ecological status
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Attributes
- Water Body IDGB105037041140
- Water Body TypeRiver
- Hydromorphological designationheavily modified
- NGRTL7177325726
- Catchment area69.935 km2
- Surveillance Water BodyNo
- Length30.528 km
- Catchment area6993.47 ha
Classifications
| Classification Item | 2019 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | Moderate |
| Biological quality elements | Good | Good |
| Invertebrates | Good | Good |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | ||
| Macrophytes Sub Element | Poor | Poor |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | Moderate |
| Acid Neutralising Capacity | High | High |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | High | Moderate |
| Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) | High | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | Moderate |
| Phosphate | Poor | Poor |
| Temperature | Good | High |
| pH | High | High |
| Hydromorphological Supporting Elements | Supports good | Supports good |
| Hydrological Regime | Supports good | Supports good |
| Supporting elements (Surface Water) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Mitigation Measures Assessment | Moderate or less | Moderate or less |
| Specific pollutants | High | High |
| Copper | High | High |
| Iron | High | High |
| Triclosan | High | High |
| Chemical | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Priority hazardous substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Benzo(a)pyrene | Good | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | Good | |
| Dioxins and dioxin-like compounds | Good | |
| Heptachlor and cis-Heptachlor epoxide | Good | |
| Hexabromocyclododecane (HBCDD) | Good | |
| Hexachlorobenzene | Good | |
| Hexachlorobutadiene | Good | |
| Mercury and Its Compounds | Fail | |
| Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Fail | |
| Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Fail | |
| Priority substances | Fail | Does not require assessment |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Fail | |
| Fluoranthene | Good | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | Does not require assessment |
Investigations into classification status
No data to show
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 | Physical modification | Other (not in list, must add details in comments) | Local and Central Government | Mitigation Measures Assessment | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Urbanisation - urban development | Urban and transport | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Diffuse source | Poor nutrient management | Agriculture and rural land management | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | Unknown (pending investigation) | Unknown (pending investigation) | Sector under investigation | Perfluorooctane sulphonate (PFOS) | Details |
| RNAG | Point source | Sewage discharge (continuous) | Water Industry | Phosphate | Details |
| RNAG | measures delivered to address reason, awaiting recovery | Not applicable | No sector responsible | Mercury and Its Compounds | 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 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 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 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Water Industry | 0 | 1 | 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 | 0 | 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 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Objectives
| Classification Item | Status | Year | Reasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecological | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens; Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
| Biological quality elements | Good | 2015 | |
| Invertebrates | Good | 2015 | |
| Macrophytes and Phytobenthos Combined | Not assessed | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Physico-chemical quality elements | Moderate | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
| Acid Neutralising Capacity | Good | 2015 | |
| Ammonia (Phys-Chem) | Good | 2015 | |
| Dissolved oxygen | Good | 2015 | |
| Phosphate | Poor | 2015 | Disproportionately expensive: Unfavourable balance of costs and benefits |
| 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 | |
| Copper | High | 2015 | |
| Iron | High | 2015 | |
| Triclosan | 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(a)pyrene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(b)fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(g-h-i)perylene | Good | 2015 | |
| Benzo(k)fluoranthene | 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 | 2040 | Natural conditions: Chemical status recovery time |
| 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 |
| Priority substances | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Cypermethrin (Priority) | Good | 2027 - Low confidence | Disproportionately expensive: Disproportionate burdens |
| Fluoranthene | Good | 2015 | |
| Other Pollutants | Does not require assessment | 2015 |
Protected areas
| PA Name | Id | Directive | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sandlings and Chelmsford | G78 | Nitrates Directive | |
| Rivers Brain, and Blackwater (Essex) | UKENRI63 | Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive | |
| Rivers Blackwater and Brain | UKENRI63 | Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive | |
| River Blackwater NVZ | S434 | Nitrates 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.