The Chemical Investigation Programme (CIP2) is a project being undertaken by all of the Water Utility providers who have waste obligations on behalf of the United Kingdom Water Industry Research (UKWIR) as part of the European Union Water Framework Directive (WFD) under framework 2000/60/EC. This Directive aims to classify each body of Surface Water (rivers) within the EU as ‘good’ or better. In order to be classified as ‘good’, levels of chemicals in each water system cannot breach set ‘Environmental Quality Standard’ (EQS) levels.

The main objective of CIP2 is to confirm and characterise sites where these EQS levels are being breached. This will allow the Water Company to assess each site and where necessary, implement an upgrade program to improve contamination removal processes. This will involve sampling at Wastewater Treatment Works and Rivers upstream and downstream of these sites.

CIP2 is an ambitious programme of sampling and analysis to be undertaken between 2014 and 2020 to understand the impact of:

• Priority Substances
• Priority Hazardous Substances
• Specific Pollutants
• Emerging Substances
• Pharmaceuticals from sewage treatment works

Operations Director at ALS Environmental, Lisa Clarke, who has been heavily involved in the developments for CIP2; as well as the original CIP in 2009 comments:

One of the more difficult parameters required to be analysed as part of CIP2 is Perfluorooctane Sulfonate (PFoS) and Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFoA), both of which were common chemicals used in industrial processes since the 1940's. The low limits of detection for these analytes has given rise to several challenges to all laboratories undertaking analysis as part of the CIP2 programme. We at ALS Environmental have developed a method to get down to the required limits and will be announcing further details on this in the coming weeks and months.

If you have any questions on the development work undertaken by ALS Environmental for the CIP2 project, or would like to arrange a tour of our laboratory please contact us or call 02476 42 12 13 and we would be happy to oblige.