|
Groundwater,
groundwater everywhere ....
The Guardian carried a slightly curious piece on chalkstreams on
Saturday (23/January) prompted, I guess, by recent Environment Agency (EA)
data that shows winter groundwater levels at normal to high with some areas
experiencing record levels. The EA, along with those of us who live or die
by winter rain, pay a lot of attention to groundwater data because it is an
indicator of things to come; at a basic level of analysis high in winter
makes for happy in summer.
Groundwater sounds pretty dull but is a vital natural
resource, an indicator of the amount of water in aquifers and shallower
water tables that has originated as surface water (rain, snow etc.) that
percolates through layers of soil and rock, or in our case chalk, and is
stored beneath the earth’s surface. It is this groundwater that contributes
to streams, rivers and wetlands to play a crucial role in maintaining
surface water quantity, quality and temperature, all vital to support
healthy aquatic ecosystems. Groundwater is, in the absence of reservoirs,
the source of drinking water for our nation.
The Guardian article was not long (you can read it here)
and I say it was curious because it seemed strangely out of context; a
brief news item that was essentially a cri de coeur by the unnamed
journalist, the closing paragraph reading,
“... it is also a reminder of the loss of so many of our
beautiful chalk streams once populated by may flies, trout and water voles
that have disappeared because of over-abstraction by water companies and
farmers. It is another example of the long-running struggle between human
priorities and the needs of the natural world.”
Hey, I could not have put it better myself so thank you,
unnamed journalist person. Sad though our plight is, seeing it written
about in the mainstream press in such stark terms is an indication of how
river issues are rising up the national consciousness. I’d bet you a pound
to a penny no article of this nature would have been seen in The
Guardian or it’s like 10-20 years ago.
The reaction it garnered in The Guardian’s online
forum was also heartening; 140 comments within the first 24 hours. Clearly
people care. For the most part they bash the water companies; well, it is The
Guardian after all but you won’t get any argument from me on that
score. They rail against pollution but are mostly realistic enough to
accept that, as a population, we have bought this upon ourselves, selfishly
exploiting a scarce natural resource.
What remedies do people suggest? Well, grey water is often
cited. Better sewage treatment. Higher water charges. Rigorous enforcement
of current legislation. More legislation. Higher fines. Less water use.
Build more reservoirs. Nationalise the water industry. Whether all these
are right, wrong or practical you can judge for yourself but at least it is
good to know people are talking about the issues.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment