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New information from HS2/Align indicates a much greater risk of aquifer contamination than previously admitted.
Daily sewage releases into the river could continue into May, but work is underway to tackle groundwater infiltration into Chesham's sewers which is big contributor to this problem.
In March, Thames Water is beginning work to fix groundwater infiltration hotspots in Chesham's sewers.
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Drought 2017
Jul 12, 2017
Above: The Chess at Kitty's Bridge in Chesham taken in July 2017
The river is currently dry as far as Lord's Mill in Chesham and flows further downstream are low. Rainfall has been 'notably low' over the last year, with only 75% of the long-term average falling and futher upstream, at the Queen's Head, the river has been dry since October 2016.
The situation has been worsening, with only 32% of average effective rainfall between 1st April and 30th June 2017. Effective rainfall is that which gets into the aquifer, and that amounts to just 9mm of rain reaching the aquifer over 3 months.
The groundwater levels recorded at Ashley Green in June were 'exceptionally low'. This is the lowest category given by the Environment Agency.
Clearly the impact on river wildlife in Chesham will be severe. Our trained monitors will continue to survey the riverfly populations at sites along the length of the river; it will be interesting to see if they detect population changes during these low flow periods. When water does return to the upper reaches, their monthly monitoring will be a useful tool for assessing the long term impact of this drought on the river's invertebrates.
We would like to urge everyone to drive down the amount of water being taken from the aquifer by using water wisely. For tips, advice and FREE water saving devices, please visit Affinity Water's web site.
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