VOLUNTEERS have helped reveal the water pollution levels across Thames Valley.

Last month more than 300 families and school children collected samples of water from nearby rivers, lakes and ponds in a bid to save wildlife.

It was part of the bi-annual Thames WaterBlitz which is now in it's eighth year.

The science test is done by residents who volunteer to collect water samples from nearby water bodies and send them off to the lab where they are tested for pollution and cleanliness.

The data from last months trial revealed that over the last four years there has been a decrease in levels of phosphate, but the levels of nitrate have stayed high.

These chemicals and nutrients can get into the water in different ways, but the most common way is through the run-off of fertilised farmlands which contains nitrates and domestic sewage which contains phosphates.

Too much phosphate and nitrate can cause algae and other water borne plants to grow rapidly – when they grow they compete against other plants for light which can lead to less biodiversity.

The organisers of the Water Blitz say that in extreme cases the same plants can also reduce the amount of Oxygen in the water and kill fish.

The study also revealed that there was litter at more than 13 per cent of the sites where samples were taken from.

2,796 water samples have now been collected since the study started in 2015. The next will be in September with the study expanding outside of Thames Valley.