BUG begins 2-year water quality monitoring programme

We have recently been commissioned by South West Water (SWW) to undertake a 2-year water quality monitoring programme in a local stream.

The Bourne Stream is a small stream which receives augmentation flow from the SWW treatment works at Alderney in Bournemouth. Proposed changes to the augmentation flow have resulted in the need for baseline water quality data to inform the future flow augmentation scheme within the stream.

The Bourne Stream receives augmentation flow from South West Water's Alderney treatment works

The Bourne Stream flows through the centre of Bournemouth and has a wide variety of habitat types throughout its course.

The upper reaches of the Bourne Stream are naturalised, flowing through a variety of habit types.

In the upper reaches, the stream exhibits relatively natural (or naturalised) habitat characteristics, whereas further downstream it becomes canalised and artificially constrained through the town centre.

The Bourne Stream flows through Talbot Heath, a local nature reserve

Connectivity within the stream is affected by many structures, including weirs and ponds with water level control structures

The stream has high amenity value, flowing through heavily populated areas and through the lower Bournemouth gardens to the sea.

The stream flows through Bournemouth Gardens, where it becomes heavily modified, but has high amenity value for local residents

Bourne Stream flows through the town centre and lower Bournemouth gardens before entering the sea through a culvert to Bournemouth Beach

The water quality monitoring programme includes sampling fortnightly over a 2-year period and analysing the samples for a large suite of determinands, including nutrients, general chemicals and metals.