Transport and delivery of suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus from various sources to freshwaters in the UK

Abstract

Summary Sources of nutrients and suspended solids (SS) are diverse in origin and dynamic with respect to their transport pathways and delivery to surface and groundwaters. Three broad source groups can be identified based on their hydrological and compositional characteristics. Consented discharges from point sources are generally continuous and highly concentrated relative to receiving waters while non-point (diffuse) sources are generally more dilute with SS and phosphorus in particular tending to have a high transport dependence upon hydrological (storm) events. A third group with properties that are intermediate include overflows from septic systems, seepages from farmyards or road/track runoff. This grouping automatically introduces a strong temporal and spatial variability in the relative contribution individual group sources make to the total quantity of nutrients and SS delivered to freshwaters. This spatial or temporal variability in either effluent volumes or composition is generally not considered when predicting impacts, which can be highly significant in headwater streams. Complete compositional data for individual sources (especially the intermediary group) are also often lacking when apportioning source contributions in catchments, being simply lumped into average export coefficients. Better definition of intermediary sources would help to more accurately define the relative contribution of different sources and enable cost-effective river basin management planning as required under the Water Framework Directive.