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Jess Brown-Fuller MP Meets with Citizen Scientists Monitoring Water Quality in the River Lavant
Jess Brown-Fuller, MP for Chichester, visited the River Lavant to meet volunteer citizen scientists and staff from the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, who monitor water quality in the river downstream of Southern Water's Lavant Wastewater Treatment Works.
During the visit, Jess heard from the Trust about its ongoing monitoring of phosphate levels in the river, and how poor water quality in this stretch is linked to effluent released from the Lavant Wastewater Treatment Works, which currently has no phosphate limit set by the Environment Agency. The Trust also outlined its continued dialogue with Southern Water on the company's responsibility to significantly reduce phosphate levels, and its ambition to trigger an Environment Agency permit review that could lead to the introduction of such a limit at the treatment works.
Following the visit, Jess has tabled a parliamentary motion highlighting the global significance of chalk streams such as the River Lavant, and raising concerns about the impact of poor water quality on the health of the river’s ecosystems, as well as on the condition of Chichester Harbour, which the Lavant flows into. The motion also commends the work of volunteer citizen scientists from the Western Sussex Rivers Trust, and calls on the Environment Agency to introduce a phosphate permit for the River Lavant with clear, enforceable targets for reduction.
Speaking after the visit, Jess Brown-Fuller MP said:
"It was incredibly valuable to return to the River Lavant to hear directly from citizen scientists about the work that goes into monitoring its health. The River Lavant is a precious chalk stream, found almost nowhere else in the world, and it deserves far better protection than it is currently getting.
I'll continue to back the Trust's work and push the Environment Agency to introduce a proper phosphate limit for this stretch of the river."
