iWharfeDNA

This research will focus on a stretch of the river Wharfe in Ilkley that in 2020 was added to the list of bathing sites in England, becoming the first river designated as a bathing site in the UK. The project supported by the Ilkley Clean River Group and the Addingham Environment Group aims to use a molecular Microbial Source Tracking approach to quantify sources of pollution and to better understand potential microbial risks associated with the presence of wastewater (including storm overflows and flooding from manholes) and/or sources of farming/agricultural pollution.