United Utilities support community group in the Wirral

The Clean Mersey community group is working collaboratively with United Utilities and the Mersey Rivers Trust to greater understand water quality challenges across the River Birket and its tributaries.

As part of the United Utilities’ Community Fund, the North West based water company has donated water-testing equipment to help them continue their efforts to maintain and improve water quality in the River Birket.

The Clean Mersey group works hard to reduce pollution in the Birket which is a tributary of the River Mersey, whilst striving to keep the local beaches clean, and rivers and streams at optimal health for wildlife to thrive. The group is also passionate about understanding and improving the water quality challenges across the Birket and its tributaries.

The group would like to start invertebrate monitoring; however, they had been unable to source and fund the equipment themselves. This monitoring would allow them to gather data from local watercourses for the Citizen Science and Riverfly programmes – wider voluntary organisations that focus on water quality and identifying species that are sensitive to pollution and habitat changes.

With the donation from United Utilities of water quality testing kits, and training from the Mersey Rivers Trust, the group is now able to carry out this vital work, helping to further understand water quality challenges and identify key focus areas for the benefit of the Wirral region.   

Derek Briggs, Wastewater Catchment Manager for Merseyside at United Utilities who is working with Clean Mersey, comments: “I am thrilled that Clean Mersey and United Utilities are able to work together – from our perspective the collaboration seemed like a no-brainer.

“The work that the team at Clean Mersey is doing is extremely important and beneficial to many. Hopefully, with the donation from United Utilities, they can continue their work, make a positive change and support to get our local rivers to optimal health.”

Do you know a group that could benefit from a boost? The United Utilities’ Community Fund supports community groups whose activities:

• Benefit local watercourses and riverside environments
• Act as catalyst for improved community and environmental wellbeing
• Reconnect communities to riverside environments
• Promote sustainable drainage

Groups can apply to the fund for up to £2,500 worth of support by emailing  Stakeholderrelations@uuplc.co.uk with details of their request.