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River Water Quality: 1999-2006
Length (kilometres)
Length (kilometres) |
Classification 4 | 1999 | 2000 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
|---|
Poor | 1,078 | 854 | 717 | 724 | 699 |
|---|
Seriously polluted | 91 | 73 | 51 | 52 | 35 |
|---|
Unclassified | - | 12,816 | 3,807 | 2,126 | 2,076 |
|---|
Total length of network | 25,382 | 25,455 | 25,434 | 25,429 | 25,429 |
|---|
Low standards of river water quality may threaten the aquatic environment, drinking water quality and recreational water use. Sewage, industry, urban development and agriculture are some of the factors that may affect river water quality.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) established a Digitised River Network ( DRN) to classify about 25,000km of rivers and burns in Scotland. The DRN comprises those watercourses draining a catchment of 10km 2 or more. Rivers were classified as excellent, good, fair, poor or seriously polluted according to measures of chemical, biological, nutrient and aesthetic quality.
Between 1999 and 2006, the length of poor and seriously polluted rivers in Scotland fell by 37% to 734km. SEPA set a target of a reduction of 351km in poor and seriously polluted rivers for the period 1999-20065; this target has been met.
In 2006 SEPA introduced a new system of classification of water bodies as part of its monitoring of progress in implementing the Water Framework Directive. Water quality will be assessed under the new system in future.
Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency6
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