Measuring the impact of CSO discharge on microbial populations in an urban river.
This project exploits nanopore sequencing techniques to monitor water quality in the Ouse Burn river at Jesmond Dene in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, a popular leisure activity site shortly downstream of a combined sewer overflow. Water samples were taken periodically from July 2022 until May 2023 and microbial populations within samples were characterised via 16S barcoding PCR. Sequencing results were then cross-referenced with CSO discharge data to monitor the affect of discharging sewage on microbial populations within the river over time.