Town/City:

Nottingham

State/Province:

East Midlands

Country:

United kingdom

Latitude/Longitude:

53N 01W

Information supplied by

Mike Barrett

m.h.barrett@surrey.ac.uk

Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 5XH, UK

+44 1483 259971

Dated Wed Jul 22 23:59:04 1998

Information Topics:

City Description:

Nottingham probably has its origin as an important Anglo-Saxon settlement in the 6th century AD. Its importance relates to its position on high, dry sandstone ground close to fording or bridging positions on a major navigable river, the Trent (the city is located on the north bank). During the 19th century there was an expansion in coal mining in the area and major industries developed, many of which still survive. Industry is now dominated by the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, brewing and textile dyeing. Housing is a combination of Victorian terraces and modern developments resulting from a policy of urban regeneration. The economy of the surrounding rural area is dominated by arable farming.

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Climate:

The climate is temperate, with mild winters and warm summers with year round rainfall. Average rainfall is around 650mm, although 1995 saw a 'drought' during which only 68% of this figure fell.

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Basic Hydrogeology:

The city is located at the confluence of the River Trent (which flows approximately south-west to north-east and marks the southern boundary of the city) and the River Leen (which flows south to meet the Trent and marks the western boundary of the city). The city is underlain by the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer. The strata dip gently to the south-east and are underlain by the Carboniferous which forms the western boundary of the aquifer. Much of the aquifer is unconfined, but the Triassic is overlain by Mercia Mudstone aquitards to the east and south of the city. Drift is largely absent, although river gravels up to 5m thick exist in the Trent and Leen Valleys (including the city centre, large residential areas and the major industrial areas) to over 40m in the north-east of the city. Groundwater flow is towards the south-east, with discharge to the Trent.

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Water Use:

Nottingham is largely dependent upon groundwater for its public supply. The public water supply boreholes are situated in the Triassic Sherwood Sandstone aquifer to the north and east of the city in the rural area. Within the city itself, groundwater is used by industry and most large industrial sites (and also the two largest hospitals) own their own boreholes.

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Groundwater Issues:

The groundwater underlying Nottingham is currently not used for public supply, whilst the surrounding rural groundwaters are showing signs of over abstraction. Research is currently being undertaken to establish the potential for the urban groundwater to be used for public supply. The issue is that urban aquifers are perceived as being polluted to levels unacceptable for use in public supply. However, preliminary profiling of the Nottingham aquifer suggests that quality is highly variable over depth. Further research aims to establish the potential for abstracting high quality water from specific depths.

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Groundwater Problems:

There are two problems associated with Nottingham's groundwater: 1.Rising Water Tables: Groundwater levels in the city centre have been rising over recent years resulting in the flooding of basements. There are two contributing factors to this problem; the decrease in post-war abstractions (reflecting the decline in local industry) and artificial recharges from leaking water distribution systems. Water tables have fallen in surrounding rural areas due to overabstraction. 2.Degradation of Groundwater Quality: Nottingham's groundwater is polluted by both industrial effluents and leaking sewers.

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Solutions:

In order to solve the problems of Nottingham's groundwater, a greater understanding of urban recharge mechanisms is required. To this end a study has been carried out by the Groundwater Protection and Restoration Research Unit, University of Bradford (UK) to assess 'The Impact of Cities on the Quality and Quantity of Their Underlying Groundwater' (funded by EPSRC, Environment Agency, Severn Trent plc and Stanton plc). This study established, through the use of marker species and solute balancing, that both mains leakage and sewer laekage were contributing significantly to the urban recharge. An approximate quantification of these recharge sources was undertaken. Current research seeks to establish the depth and extent of penetration of urban recharge and contamination into UK aquifers through detailed depth profiling. This work is being undertaken by the Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health, University of Surrey, and the Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group, University of Sheffield.

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References and Other Author(s):

Barrett, M.H., Hiscock, K.M., Pedley, S., Lerner, D.N. and Tellam, J.H. 1997.
The use of marker species to establish the impact of the city of Nottingham (UK) 
on the quantity and quality of its underlying groundwater. In: Groundwater in the 
urban environment. Eds. Chilton, J et al., pub. Balkema, p85-90.

Lerner, D.N. and Barrett, M.H. 1996. Urban groundwater issues in 
the United Kingdom. Hydrogeology Journal Vol.4, No.1. p80-89.

Rivers, C.N., Barrett, M.H., Hiscock, K.M., Dennis, P.F., Feast, N.A. 
and Lerner, D.N. 1996. Use of nitrogen isotopes to identify nitrogen 
contamination of the Sherwood Sandstone aquifer beneath the City of 
Nottingham, United Kingdom. Hydrogeology Journa Vol.4, No.1. p90-102.
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Contacts:

Dr. Mike Barrett
Robens Centre for Public and Environmental Health,
University of Surrey,
Guildford,
Surrey,
GU2 5XH,
UK.


Prof. David Lerner,
Groundwater Protection and Restoration Group,
Department of Civil and Structural Engineering,
University of Sheffield,
Sir Frederick Mappin Building,
Mappin Street,
Sheffield,
S1 3JD,
UK.


Dr John Tellam,
School of Earth Sciences,
University of Birmingham,
Edgbaston,
Birmingham,
B15 2TT,
UK.

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