APEM have been actively involved in water quality, low flows and resource studies since 1987. Our experience covers three general areas including
water quality (desk & modelling studies for diffuse and point source pollution),
water quantity (resources, regulation and low flows) and
water monitoring and management.
Being based in the industrial centre of the North West of England, APEM have had unrivalled experience in dealing with some of the worst water quality problems in Europe within freshwater and estuarine environments. This includes our groundbreaking work in the
Manchester Ship Canal, which through a combination of desk studies, detailed monitoring, experimentation and active water quality management have resulted in the transformation of quite horrendous water quality problems. Notable projects include our award winning work at
Salford Quays, a previously lifeless, grossly polluted, fishless environment which was recognised with a national prize - the Institute of Fisheries Management's prestigious 'Good Management Award'. Other artificial water bodies where we are heavily involved in high-level water quality consultancy include the
Cavendish Dock Barrow-in-Furness, Market Dock, South Shields and more recently, a project undertaken on the River Thames. APEM are currently monitoring water quality and phytoplankton biomass within Southport and Crosby marine lakes in order to inform a future water management strategy for these waterbodies.
In addition to these artificial systems, APEM scientists also have an impressive track record in undertaking a large number of substantial water quality projects involving more conventional point and diffuse source discharges. These range from high profile prosecutions regarding illegal discharges, including successful expert witness work and modelling of polluting discharges to freshwater and coastal habitats, to more routine evaluations of acceptable levels of discharges in preparation for consent submission. In addition, we have undertaken a number of large-scale projects examining contentious issues such as the impact of land management practices and intensive livestock farming on diffuse pollution. Major studies include the impact of agricultural eutrophication on the
Upper Tamar Lakes and the Impact of Grazing & Upland Management on Erosion, Run-off and Sedimentation. Water quality modelling has featured heavily in many projects.
Water resource projects have always formed a major part of the APEM portfolio. In fact Managing Director, Dr Keith Hendry, worked in the South West in the early 1980's on the environmental impacts of the Roadford Reservoir scheme on one of England's most prestigious salmon rivers, the Tamar. Subsequently APEM have been involved in a large number of both water resource and flood alleviation schemes. These include major abstraction studies looking at ecological and fisheries impacts on Rivers throughout the UK, including the
Eden,
Hodder, Fylde, Calder,
Exe,
Tamar, Ouse, Vrynwy and
Lochy. In addition we have also undertaken detailed studies on the impacts of flood alleviation schemes such as the Welsh Dee, assessing the effects of major flow regulation on fish populations of the system. A series of related studies have also been undertaken examining the relationship between flow and migratory fish movement on a number of river systems with fish counters including the Lune, Hodder, Eden and Usk. Two further notable studies on water resources and flows include the analysis of the impact of the 1995/1996 Drought on Yorkshire Rivers involving an assessment of the effects on coarse fish and trout populations, and a long term (>10 years) assessment of the effects of changing flow patterns following the expansion of
Swinden Quarry in the North Yorkshire National Park.
In addition to the numerous projects involving desk studies and modelling, APEM also undertake extensive water quality and flow monitoring across the country, as well as actively managing a number of prestigious water bodies on a day-to-day basis. The aeration and oxygen injection schemes at
Salford Quays and
Manchester Ship Canal are notable examples, in the case of the Quays extending over 18 years of active water quality management. Similarly at
Cavendish Dock, Barrow-In Furness, APEM have undertaken regular monitoring within this brackish water system since 1990, providing management guidelines on active salinity, temperature, invertebrate, fisheries and macrophyte management for this internationally important 58 hectare RAMSAR and SPA site. APEM also conduct extensive water quality monitoring in estuarine and coastal waters including the Ribble, Mersey Thames, Tyne and Tees estuaries. Other examples of our highly regarded monitoring service include extensive monitoring of the canals and brackish dock basins in
Liverpool's South Docks system, helicopter based sampling of the East Anglia coast investigating water quality impacts from the River Thames, assessing the impact of heavy metal contamination from the abandoned mine at Parys mountain on the Anglesey coastline, in addition to extensive monitoring studies of water treatment works performance for a number of multi-national companies.