Anglian Water awards Mott Mac WFD diffuse pollution contract

Mott MacDonald has won a multi-year contract to support Anglian Water in understanding the potential to improve drinking water quality in part of eastern England through reductions in diffuse agricultural pollution. The consultancy will undertake surface and groundwater quality modeling as part of Anglian’s programme of introducing a catchment-based approach to the management of ‘raw water’ resources.

Catchment-based management is a requirement of the EU water framework directive (WFD). It focuses on modifying land use practices in order to reduce discharges of pollutants to surface and groundwater.

The project in question focuses on “modelling the behaviour of pesticides, particularly metaldehyde, at 13 water treatment works” operated by Anglian Water and which are supplied by surface water sources. Mott MacDonald’s team will also model concentrations of a range of agricultural pollutants at seven groundwater sources. “The modelling will demonstrate the effects of no change to current conditions or alternatively large scale changes in land use and/or application of pesticides and fertilizers,” explains the consultancy.

Commenting on the contract, project director Jane Dottridge said: “Mott MacDonald has significant expertise in both catchment management and diffuse pollution, which are very topical as regulators and water companies have to comply with the water framework directive”.

Another consultancy active in WFD-related work that focuses on diffuse pollution is Apem (Environment Analyst 11-Jul-11).

• Mott MacDonald news release