“They’re as rare as the rainforest.” This is how one person described the chalk streams that run through Cambridge: crystal-clear streams that are home to a remarkable amount of biodiversity. Chalk streams are fed from underground water and rise through chalk bedrock, creating filtered, fresh and nutrient-rich water.
85% of the world’s chalk streams are found in England, and these ecosystems are home to water crowfoot, wild trout, kingfishers, bats and otters, as well as helping to supply us with good quality water. However, the chalk streams that run through Cambridge are under significant strain. According to environmental reports, 75% of England’s chalk streams are in poor condition.
While many Cambridge students may be unaware of the difficulties these unique ecosystems face, their collapse could pose significant environmental and social challenges. To understand the scope of Cambridge’s water problem, I spoke to Tony Eva, a local environmental campaigner who has recently produced a documentary called The film investigates Cambridge’s unique chalk streams, as well as the problems they are facing. “The rate of abstraction is rising, and shows no sign of slowing down” According to Eva, the main problem is that Cambridge water companies are abstracting too much from the underground chalk aquifers.
At an abstraction rate of about 84 million litres a day, or the volume of 33 Olympic-sized swimming pools, the aquifers which charge the streams are running dry. .
