United Utilities awarded funding to remove phosphorus from Irwell catchment

An imbalance in water phosphorus levels can lead to an overgrowth of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria)

Local water supplier United Utilities has been awarded £66,500 for a new project to remove phosphorus from the Irwell river catchment as part of a ground-breaking £10 million Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund.

The funding from Defra, the Environment Agency and Natural England will be used to develop projects across England to the point they can provide a return on investment by capturing the value of carbon, water quality, biodiversity and other benefits provided by natural assets such as woodlands, peatlands, catchments and landscapes.

United Utilities will establish an environmental impact bond model and an investment case to deliver up to ten sustainable drainage systems to industrial estates and other nature-based solutions, which is expected to have relevance across the water sector.

Phosphorus removal during wastewater treatment is to prevent eutrophication – a natural process which feeds algae blooms, which can cause disruption to the normal ecosystem.   

Phosphorus – a fertiliser used in farming – can run-off as a pollutant into nearby water, causing an increase in nutrient levels and thus an increase in algal blooms, which can turn rivers bright green. Excessive growth of algal blooms such as blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can monopolise the oxygen in the water, leaving none for aquatic organisms, or produce toxins which are harmful to other forms of life.

A spokesperson for United Utilities said: “Nutrient pollution in watercourses is one of the major issues affecting water quality and preventing some rivers from meeting the necessary standards set out in the water framework directive. One of the most prevalent problems is phosphorus from urban runoff.

“Ourselves and our partners have been successful in securing funding from the Natural Environment Investment Readiness Fund (NEIRF) to pilot an innovative Environmental Impact Bond mechanism to improve water quality.

“Working with Finance Earth and Stormwater Shepherds, we are aiming to encourage a number of different organisations to invest in sustainable drainage for the urban environment that will treat runoff through natural solutions before it is discharged back into the environment.

“The Environmental Impact Bond model provides the framework to allow multiple organisations to co-fund this project with the help of external financing.

“While the focus of this work is on phosphate pollution there are a wide range of other pollutants contained in urban runoff and we believe using natural solutions will help tackle many of these as well.”