The Lugg gets a visitor from the House of Lords!

We were delighted to welcome Baroness Jenny Jones of Moulsecomb to the fast-flowing waters of the Lugg on Friday 11th November. The Green Party peer made the trip to find out more about local water pollution and our citizen science water testing project.

Baroness Jones met Councillor Ellie Chowns and local citizen scientists to talk about the pollution problems of the River Lugg. The river is now rated as failing by the Environment Agency.

Although many catchments in Britain are mostly suffering from release of untreated sewage, the evidence points to agriculture as the major polluter in Herefordshire.

Councillor Chowns and Baroness Jones later donned their wellies and had a go at testing the water quality themselves, just above Priory Bridge in Leominster. We’re pleased that their tests showed 100 parts per billion of phosphate, not a high reading thankfully. The river was very full that day!

After her visit the Green Party peer lost no time in raising the issue of water quality in the House of Lords. The following Monday she pressed the government on why water companies were failing to produce plans on sewage release as they are required to.