Investigation on Hertfordshire Water Supply Contamination - Essay Example

Investigation on Hertfordshire Water Supply Contamination Introduction: Water contamination is a serious issue of concern (Gleick, Allen & Cohen, 2011, p.285) among individuals since the contamination of drinking water has significant impacts on the health of human beings. The water supplies are responsible to test the water that they supply to the common people such that they are free from impurities and contain minimal amounts of contaminants. In order to maintain the admissible levels of contaminants and to supply water that is safe for the common people, there are drinking water standards that different water supply systems are required to follow (Zaslow & Herman, 1996). Such an issue of water contamination is also reflected by the case of Hertfordshire water supply, the Chalk Aquifer where a public water supply system got affected by bromated contamination that posed problems with leakage in the site in the year 2000. The accepted standard for bromated in water is 10µg/l (Quevauiller & Thompson, 2006, p.40), while in the concerned case, the concentration has been known to reach a level of around 150µg/l (Fitzpatrick et al, n.d.). Bromate contamination is of serious concern it is a carcinogenic in nature and pollutes the water drastically (Hill, 2010, p.292). Thus the bromate contamination in the case of Hertfordshire water supply and the leakage in the site of Sandridge near St Albans calls for significant investigation and study to understand the causes, the situation as well as to find out relevant recommendations for the recovery of the condition, which is the primary concern of the current research and study. The Investigation and Assessment of the Contaminated Site: The investigation and assessment of the contaminated site in the case of Hertfordshire water supply would include the following major steps: (a) identifying the process that has been used in the plant, (b) identifying and assessing how the spillage of bromate occurred, (c) using the different parameters - process indicators, the notification of occurrence of unwanted events, and indicators related to public health – to understand how the plant might have been negligent in some respects that led to the incident, (d) assessing the monitoring measures applied in the plant, and (e) identifying how the plant might have responded to the occurrence of the incident. (a) Process used in the Hertfordshire Water Supply: Studies reflect that the Chalk Aquifer presents a huge source of drinking water (Dassargues, 2000, p.195) for a major part of Greater London. The water is primarily supplied from the rainfall in the region of Hertfordshire (Ellis & Bertrand-Krajewski, 2009, p.112). If an overview of Hertfordshire’s present situation related to the water supply and treatment can be presented, it would reflect the status as in the following figure (Figure 1). Status Current Status Future Expectation Water Framework Directive Moderate Good status has been obtained by around 24 percent of the water bodies. The Hertfordshire rivers determine the low or high quality of the water bodies It is expected that the water bodies in the region have plans to satisfy the ecological needs of the environment by 2027. Quality of Water Moderate The river lengths that have been achieving high grades have shown increase since 1990. The water bodies have been focused on the appropriate treatment of the sewages. Serious records of pollution have not been obtained since 2009. Diffuse pollution risks are still high. Plans to reduce the risks of diffuse pollution. Absolutely no records of serious pollution and reduction of any pollution incidents. Continue with the sewage treatment measures. Figure 1: Overview of Hertfordshire’s water supply and treatment (Allum & Dixon, 2010, pp.3-4). This study reflects a serious factor that the water supply system in the Hertfordshire is concerned about the pollution and the contamination and thus the processes followed are focused on the reduction of such incidents. This also hints that when the bromate contamination occurred in the Chalk Aquifier, it must have been accompanied by some serious causes that would be discussed further in the report. (b) Identifying and Assessing How the Spillage of Bromate Occurred: Investigation reveals that an earlier site of industry was the primary source of causing the bromate contamination in the Chalk Aquifer of Hertfordshire. The contamination had affected the groundwater entirely (Contaminant Source Zone Characterization and Remediation, 2009, p.6). While the sampling process was being addressed during the 2000, the higher levels of bromated concentrations were observed. Later it was determined that the plume that had occurred as a result of the bromated spillage was one of the biggest pollution that had ever occurred in the UK. The activities of the former chemical industry that could be found to have been responsible had come to an end in 1985 and proved to be the main source of the pollution (Sustainable Water, n.d., p.9). (c) Parameters Investigation: This includes an understanding of the different factors like the indicators of the processes applied in the plant, the notification of the unusual occurrences that could be harmful for the human health. This investigation and the study has led to the knowledge that it was around the middle of the year 2000 that bromate contamination in water and thus the increasing level of pollution in the chalk aquifer was discovered by the Veolia Water Central or VWC in two of its water resources. The level or concentrations of the bromate in the water being significantly high, as already mentioned, created concerns in the water supply system (Sage, n.d.). Figure 2: The extent of bromate pollution (Sage, n.d.). This figure provides with an idea as to how far and to what extent the bromate pollution had spread during the contamination that occurred in the middle of 2000 in the chalk aquifer water supply system in Hertfordshire. The water canal in Veolia was known to have around 260 boreholes for the purpose of the supply of drinking water to the public in the region (Veolia Water Canal, 2010). The process of investigation thus determines that the primary indicator that helped in the assessment of the unusual occurrence of bromate contamination has been the pollution that was noticed in the water resources in the Chalk Aquifer in Hertfordshire. Since the high level of bromate was known to be harmful for the human health, it was the moment that was of huge concern for the plant and the plant needed to take immediate actions to halt the continuing spillage of the contaminant in the water. (d) Assessing the Monitoring Measures Applied in the Plant: Quality monitoring is highly significant in the water supply systems particularly for drinking water (Bartram & Balance, 1996). The investigation reveals that the monitoring measures in the chalk aquifers in Hertfordshire involve monitoring of the quality of the water and the level of the drinking water available in the different locations. There are around 370 locations that are covered under this monitoring program. When the bromate contamination had occurred in the site, the monitoring policy had been continued for a period from 2000 till 2007 to ensure the quality and safety of the drinking water supplied to human beings. However the study also reveals that the monitoring measure is not applied in all the locations on a regular basis (Fitzpatrick et al, n.d.). It has been observed in this regard that the harmful substance bromate gets formed in the drinking water if bromine is allowed to react with ozone (Drinking Water 2009, 2010, p.22; Stuetz, 2004, p.229). (e) Identifying How the Plant Might have Responded to the Occurrence of the Incident: The site that was contaminated as a result of the bromate pollution was the Steetley Chemicals Work which is in the region of Sandridge (Redland and Crest told to fund bromate clean-up, n.d.). As a result of the bromate contamination, the plant needed to take immediate measures and nine of the boreholes that were meant for water supply to the public were immediately closed. Moreover, measures were taken by the plant to stop the spillage and remove the bromate concentrations. The pumping station at Hatfield was used by the plant such that the water that was contaminated by excess concentrations of bromate could be moved for sewage treatments (Sykes, 2010). The Legislations and the Rules: Thus the above investigative studies reflect on the causes of the occurrence of the bromate pollution in the water supply system in Hertfordshire. Also, from these studies it could be observed as to how the plant used to process its system, and monitored its programs, as well as how the plant responded towards the incident. It is here that the legislative rules and policies in regard to the protection of the water supply and its safety would be apt to discuss that would enhance the investigative study and focus on how the plant might have been unable to follow them that could have led to the incident. Considering the study on the concerned site, the law has been observed to have assigned the site of Sandridge to be a polluted location in the year 2002. Also, the law had made rules for proper regulation of that site that was supposed to follow as per the rules of Part IIA of the Environmental Protection Act. Based on the selection of suitable personalities investigation and remediation measures were asked to be followed by the plant (Sykes, 2010; Bromate in Groundwater in the Hatfield/Sandridge area, n.d.). The Environmental Protection Act was primarily meant for the protection of the environment from any kind of pollution. Thus the treatments of water and safety supply of water to the public falls under the laws that are prepared for the concerned Act (Ratnayaka, Brandt & Johnson, 2009, p.43). It can be considered as the rights of the human beings to experience a healthy and safe environment (Kothari & Patel, 2006, pp.9-12) that includes the water as well that water supply systems provide them with. A Brief Overview of the Investigation and Analysis: The process of this investigation has taken into consideration the steps that could lead to the entire cause and occurrence of the incident. Thus from the study, it could be reflected as to how the plant did not prove to be efficient in dealing with the protective measures regarding the safety of the water supply. There had been laws for the protection of the environment yet the plant lacked in its monitoring policies that resulted in such severe contamination of the water and spillage of bromate in the underground water in the water supply system in Hertfordshire leading to the water becoming highly populated for the public to use. Recommendations: From the process of the investigation, it can be understood that the plant lacked in its measures that it should have undertaken with greater sincerity and responsibility. Thus as part of the recommendation it can be stated that the water supply site would require to be more alert and active with respect to its monitoring policies. It should have equal policies of rules and regulations in all the locations of the entire supply system. Moreover, there needs to be stricter rules in regard to the flow of the underground water and the management teams of such water supplies need to be more effective in their roles to look after the correct measures being undertaken in the system. Regular checks are also required to detect any kind of unusual activity in the process such that they can be rectified within time. Conclusion: The above study was meant to undergo an investigation process on the case of the bromate contamination in the water supply system in Hertfordshire in the middle of 2000. The investigation process thus included certain steps that helped the study to determine the cause or the source of the contamination, the processes of the plant, as well as how the plant had responded. These studies enabled the investigation process to understand that the plant lacked in its efficiency to handle the protective measures in the system. Also, the monitoring policies of the site were found to be less responsible in monitoring all the locations that they are supposed to. Thus, the study reflected on certain recommendations for the plant and the site such that includes the management team to be more sincere and responsible in their roles and in following the rules and policies of the laws and environment protection acts, to ensure safety and uncontaminated water supply to the public in the region. References 1) Allum, L. & A. Dixon (2010), The environment in Hertfordshire, herts-aptc, available at: http://www.herts-aptc.gov.uk/docs/TheEnvironmentinHertfordshire.pdf (accessed on December 23, 2011) 2) Bartram & Balance (1996), Water Quality Monitoring. 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