Britain has more than 2,000 non-native plants and animals, that have been introduced to the environment through increased levels of travel and ecological events such as floods, storms and fires.  While many of these species are harmless, around 10-15% are considered “invasive” because of their adverse impact on our natural environment and even human health. Anglian Water’s Biodiversity Manager, Emily Dimsey, shares how you can control the spread and reduce the impact caused by Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS). 

From terrestrial to aquatic species, our region has a number of invasive species. Troublesome for our biodiversity, land and infrastructure assets, INNS cost the water industry at least £7.5 million a year – a figure that is expected to rise even further.  

Some of the INNS in our region include: 

Zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) and Quagga Mussels (Dreissena bugensis) 
Killer Shrimp (Dikerogammarus villosus) 
Floating Pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) 
New Zealand Pymyweed (Crassula helmsii) 
Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) 
Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica) 
Giant Hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum)  

Negative impacts these species could have, include: 

Outcompeting native species for food, light and places to live, in turn leading to a decline in native species diversity and abundance and ultimately the quality of our wildlife habitats 
Bringing in new diseases that negatively impact native species e.g., the crayfish plague bought in on Signal Crayfish (Pacifastacus leniusculus) which kills our native, White-Clawed Crayfish (Austropotamobius pallipes) 
Damage to infrastructure, such as roots breaking through tarmac surfaces, clogging up water intakes, water pipes and water treatment facilities. Mussels can reduce the effectiveness of water infrastructure and incur great costs to remove. Sometimes they can become dislodged and break up, potentially increasing the frequency of screens and filters becoming blinded 
Burns to the skin - sap from Giant Hogweed can cause nasty burns. It contains furocoumarin, which makes skin sensitive to sunlight (phytophotodermatitis) 
 
How we’re tackling INNS 
 
As a water company, we have a legislative duty to manage invasive non-native species in the region and eradicate them where feasible. This is why, there is a hive of activity taking place at Anglian Water to tackle INNS on our own land and in the wider environment.  
 
Central to this, is our Invasive Non-native Species Fund, which distributed its fifth year of funding this year. The fund provides grants to projects focused on protecting the environment by preventing the introduction and spread of INNS across our region. Suffolk Wildlife Trust were successful in their application to us for funds to control the spread of the Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides) which is clogging up their dyke systems, preventing water flow at Trimley Marshes. Work is also being delivered as part of a catchment-wide initiative by the East Mercia Rivers to train volunteers to control Himalayan balsam on the Rivers Welland and Witham in Lincolnshire. 
 
Running alongside our INNS Fund, we have several INNS-driven projects taking place as part of our Water Industry Natural Environment Programme (WINEP). Part of this work is in partnership with Norfolk Rivers Trust and the Environment Agency to control Himalayan Balsam in the River Wensum catchment in Norfolk. This project focuses on encouraging local communities to get involved and report recent sightings and management of these invasive species via an app. You can find more information on this, here. 
 
It is vital that we’re able to record INNS presence as soon as it is identified so work can begin crafting a treatment or eradication plan. Treatment may include; hand pulling or mechanical clearance, chemical treatment in the form of stem injections or even biological control e.g. mite. 
 
How can you get involved 
 
If you come across an INNS plant on your land, you must stop them from spreading and causing nuisance or damage to neighboring land or properties. Failure to do so could result in prosecution. Find our full Anglian Water’s INNS guidance booklet here. 
 
Being such large, well connected, open spaces, where recreational activities occur our water parks, Grafham and Rutland Water are vulnerable to invasive species and so our teams take particular caution to prevent the spread of INNS. Whether you are at one of our water parks or simply out and about in nature, here are our tops tips for dealing with INNS. 
 
Check, Clean, Dry. One of the most important preventative measures starts when you leave the water. You can help protect the water sports you love by checking your equipment and clothing for live organisms; cleaning all equipment, footwear and clothing thoroughly; and drying all equipment and clothing. Read more here.   
 
Be Plant Wise. The GB Non-Native Species Secretariat’s helpful top tips for gardeners include knowing what you’re growing; stopping the spread of invasive species by keeping plants confined to your garden; and composting with care. Read more on their website here. 
 
Report invasive species correctly. Reporting invasive species is the first step in helping to prevent the spread and get them controlled. You can now do this out and about via iRecord which is a digital tool that allows you to alert experts to the presence of invasive species – don’t forget to attach a photo! If you see INNS on Anglian Water land, please report your sighting to our biodiversity team as soon as possible. You will need to provide the species name (if you don’t know this, include photographs and a detailed description), the What.3.Words of that location, the date and your full name.  
 
 
Further reading: 
 
Animal and plant INNS guidance 
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/invasive-non-native-alien-animal-species-rules-in-england-and-wales  
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/invasive-non-native-alien-plant-species-rules-in-england-and-wales
 
Invasive non-native species and biosecurity

https://anglianwater.sharepoint.com/sites/pubEnvironmentalStrategyandDelivery/SitePages/Invasive-non-native-species-and-biosecurity.aspx