Water Framework Directive Talk for TY

We were recently visited by two environmental scientists, Mairead Wilkinson and Alison Cusack to explain the Water Framework Directive. They explained the implications of the directive and the need to protect our water. We have to comply with this European Directive by 2015 which is not very far away! We found out that there will be a pricing policy placed on our water and that the polluter will have to pay the principle, meaning people will have to pay for the dirty water leaving their homes as well as the clean water going in to them.
It was very interesting to see the macroinvetebrates that live in freshwater habitats. The Mayfly, Stone fly and the Caddis Fly can be found in unpolluted water whereas the Asselus tells us that the water is polluted. Mairead and Ailson showed us the machine they use to measure the pH of the water and explained that the normal pH for surface water is usually within the range of 6.8 to 8.5. If the pH value is too low or too high it can have a negative effect on the fish and other aquatic life. They also showed us real examples of these water creatures. We really enjoyed learning about the ways to identify if the water in our area was of good quality and surprised at how much pollution has affected our water systems. Our thanks to Mairead and Alison for taking the time to come and speak to us.