Water Quality Monitoring in Roundhay Park
In November 2023 REAP set up a citizen science project to monitor, record and report on water quality in Roundhay Park. This work was initially funded by a grant from Change X which paid for a subscription, training and testing kits from Freshwater Watch. In year 2 the project was funded by REAP and FORP with further contributions of resources from Yorkshire Water and Aire Rivers Trust. This short report summarises our main activities and findings. We have,
- Recruited and trained 16 volunteers from REAP and FORP
- Conducted 96 (2024) and 156 (2025 estimate – to complete) monthly chemical and qualitative tests at 13 locations covering Waterloo Lake, the Upper Lake and feeder becks, Great Heads Beck, Rambeck and Foxwood Beck. In 2025 testing was introduced in Wyke Beck, which takes water away from the park and into the River Aire catchment
- Observed raised levels of nitrates in just over 50% of tests carried out in 2024. These levels are within safe limits for humans but can have an impact on ecology and wildlife by promoting algal growth which reduces oxygen levels and biodiversity
| Key – Categorisation by Freshwater Watch – Moderate – Concentrations of nitrate (N-NO3) are above 1.0 mg/L. Poor – Concentrations of nitrate (N-NO3) are above 2.0 mg/L |
Some raised levels of nitrates were found at all the testing sites. These were recorded most frequently in Rambeck, Foxwood Beck and Wyke Beck where CSOs (Combined Sewage Outfalls) discharge and in Waterloo Lake (East) Nitrate levels were generally lower in summer than in winter.
| Key – Percentage of observations at each site which showed levels of nitrates above 1.0 mg/L |
We learnt a lot in year 1, including just how much we didn’t know. This informed how the project developed in year 2. We found out more about potential sources of pollution, investigated their impact on the environment and began to identify solutions. We have,
- Added a wider range chemical tests in 2025 which give more information and finer detail. Initial analysis has identified a continuation of raised nitrate levels as well as variations in conductivity and dissolved oxygen between the different sites. These raised levels can be a further indicator of stress on aquatic life.
- Participated in 3 one-off regional and national surveys which found low levels of pharmaceuticals and E.coli at several sites in the park. This is a further indication of sewage contamination and chemical persistence in the environment
- Participated in 2 regional Outfalls Surveys which enabled us to identify and map all the pipes and culverts which are bringing potential sources of water pollution into the park. These include CSOs (domestic sewage and wastewater) surface water drains, agricultural and road (oil, heavy metals and tire particles) runoff
- Observed and reported evidence of potential misconnections at Foxwood Beck to Yorkshire Water. Investigations are currently in progress. (Nov 2025)
- Trained two volunteers to carry out Riverfly kick testing to measure aquatic invertebrate diversity at 3 locations. Started sampling in autumn 2025
- Built relationships with local, regional and national groups and agencies to analyse and share our results, establish baselines, make comparisons with norms and standards, understand what is happening in the local and wider catchment area and contribute to finding options for solutions and alleviation
A more detailed report of this work will be compiled and disseminated in 2026 when we have completed and analysed our 2025 observations.
If you want to know more about the project or get involved please contact Jane Stanbury ([email protected]) and Sue Tuffin ([email protected])
