This is from my Geoff Meaden, Green Party parliamentary candidate for Canterbury: "Factors affecting pollution of rivers in Kent and Medway include sewage run-off, reduced summer rainfall, poor farming practices, and the heavy demand for drinking water. If we don’t clean up the rivers, a variety of species will be damaged, or will not return to our rivers. This would include species such as the otter, kingfishers and water voles." and there is further comment in the Guardian.
It is hardly surprising that the Medway doesn't feature in the small number of pristine rivers, given its size, the areas that it flows through and its slow speed, however that doesn't mean that it shouldn't be better. Reducing our water consumption is urgently needed and we need to vastly reduce the agro chemicals that find their way into the river.
This is the data on the Medway from the Environment Agency. The ratings: Chemistry and biology - A to F (very good to bad) and Nitrates and phosphates - 1 to 6 (very low levels to very high levels)
| Allington Sluices - Ensfield Bridge | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| River: R. Medway | |||||
| Chemistry: C | Biology: C | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: B | Biology: C | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: B | Biology: C | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: B | Biology: B | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: A | Biology: B | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: C | Biology: A | Nitrates: 4 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
| Chemistry: C | Biology: A | Nitrates: 3 | Phosphates: 5 | Year: 2008 | View data |
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