Nutrient neutrality: issues, impacts and solutions

This webinar explored what nutrient neutrality is, what it means in practice, and how it can be achieved.

Many lakes, rivers, estuaries, wetlands and other sites dependent on water are important and protected habitats. Nutrients, such as nitrates and phosphates, support excess growth of algae and vegetation which are damaging to the natural water environment because they out-compete the natural vegetation and reduce oxygen supply to the water. It is crucial that these habitats are not destroyed or adversely impacted by new development, which brings with it potential sources of nutrient input.

Water companies are required under the Environment Act to assess the environmental impacts of the sewerage system including the impacts of nutrient loads from wastewater treatment works on protected sites.

Natural England states that ‘Development plans can be considered ‘nutrient neutral’ where they can demonstrate that they will cause no overall increase in nutrient pollution affecting specified Habitats Sites’.

This webinar set the scene and examined the issues from the point of view of:

• National regulators (eg Natural England) who are concerned about the impact of nutrients on water quality and habitats, and are developing resources to support those involved in the planning and development process.
• Local planning authorities who decide planning permission for development.
• Water and sewerage companies who need to plan for the management of nutrients at designated sites.

The webinar featured practical approaches to manage nutrients using wetlands and Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) as well as guidance from The Rivers Trust and CIRIA.