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Home › Rivers › River Alt

River Alt water levels

Live levels from 1 monitoring station across Liverpool City Region, updated every 15 minutes.

1stations
0above typical high

Gauges

Monitoring stations, source to mouth

StationTownLevel nowStatusTrend
KirkbyAintree0.25 m 41m agoNormal—

Stations are listed from source to mouth as the water flows, traced on the river map (OS Open Rivers) and the Environment Agency’s own links between its gauges. A distance “by river” is along the river, and is shown only where the map traces the path.

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Gauged tributaries

Streams and rivers with a gauge whose water joins the Alt above one of its gauges, from the source down. Named streams without a gauge that have a page here are listed at the end.

No gauged tributary joins the Alt above Kirkby on the river map. Streams without a gauge are not counted here.

Where the Alt goes

No gauge below Kirkby is known on the river map.

Tributaries and where they join are traced on the river map (OS Open Rivers, edition 2026-04) and the Environment Agency’s links between its gauges. The map holds distances between gauges, not the junctions themselves, so a junction is placed between two gauges, and no further up than the tributary’s own lowest gauge. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Streams without a gauge

Named streams on the river map that flow into the Alt and have no gauge of their own. Each has a page with what is known about it: the next gauge downstream, and any storm overflows or water-sampling points placed on it.

Storm overflows upstream

3 storm overflows are traced upstream of Kirkby, the Alt’s lowest gauge on the river map: on the Alt itself, on its gauged tributaries, and on smaller streams that join above there.

  • 0 report discharging now
  • 3 not discharging
  • 0 offline or silent: 0 monitor offline, 0 status unknown, 0 no live feed

Official figures for 2025, for the overflows traced upstream of Kirkby: 86 spills over 466 hours in total, across all 3.

Each overflow is listed in the stretch above the first gauge its water reaches, from the source down, as on the Gauges tab. A stretch of the Alt includes the smaller streams that join it there.

Above Kirkby, the Alt’s highest gauge3 overflows
  • Barrownook WwTW Not discharging
    United Utilities · into Simonswood Brook · 9.8 km by river above Kirkby · 2025: 64 spills, 293 h
  • Croxteth Hall Lane CSO 261qd Not discharging
    United Utilities · into River Alt · 5.3 km by river above Kirkby · 2025: 4 spills, 5.0 h
  • Fazakerley WwTW Not discharging
    United Utilities · into River Alt · 3.1 km by river above Kirkby · 2025: 18 spills, 168 h

Near these gauges, connection not known

Within 3 km of one of the Alt’s gauges in a straight line, but the river map cannot say whether their water reaches it.

  • Bradfield Avenue CSO 318fn Not discharging
    United Utilities · into Moor Hey Brook Trib Rvr Alt · 2.3 km from Kirkby in a straight line · no mapped watercourse close enough to be sure · 2025: 2 spills, 1.5 h
  • Dooley Drive CSO/ Not discharging
    United Utilities · into Moor Hey Brk Trib Of R. Alt · 2.7 km from Kirkby in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map · 2025: 1 spill, 1.9 h
  • Bridge Rd Jct Copy Lane Not discharging
    United Utilities · into Moor Hey Brook · 2.7 km from Kirkby in a straight line · its watercourse is not on the river map · 2025: 0 spills, 0 h

1 other overflow within 3 km of these gauges is placed below the Alt’s lowest gauge or on another river, so not listed.

A status is the water company’s own monitor: it says whether an overflow is discharging, never how much or why, and a spill does not by itself explain a change in a river level. A status older than two hours is shown as unknown. Annual figures are the official returns: 12/24-hour spills for England and Wales, overflow events for Scotland (Scottish Water counts differently, so the two cannot be compared). “No data” means the monitor produced no usable data that year, not zero. Overflows are placed on OS Open Rivers (edition 2026-04), which leaves out many small channels: an overflow the map cannot place may still drain here. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026. Sewage in Britain’s rivers →

Live status: © United Utilities storm overflow activity data, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Annual figures for England: Environment Agency Event Duration Monitoring return, © Environment Agency copyright and/or database right, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Water samples

Dated samples taken by the Environment Agency, not live readings. Results are published days to months after the sample is taken, and many points are sampled only a few times a year, or have not been sampled for years.

32 sampling points on the River Alt and the streams that join it above Kirkby, and below it. 11 have a sample from the last 12 months; 12 have any sample banked. Listed from the source down, grouped by the next gauge each one's water reaches.

Above Kirkby River Alt 17 points, 7 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Above the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
River Alt at Stocksbridge LaneRiver Alt8.8 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 47.1%Temp 14.5 °CpH 7.85Ammonia 0.48 mg/l
River Alt above Croxteth ParkRiver Alt7.0 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 73.6%Temp 15.4 °CpH 7.97Ammonia 0.36 mg/l
Sonae Outfall to Kirkby BrookKirkby Brook6.2 kmLast sampled 2 Mar 2022, before the imported period
Kirkby Brook downstream of Kip OutfallKirkby Brook5.9 kmLast sampled 19 May 2021, before the imported period
Alt above Liverpool North Sewage WorksRiver Alt4.3 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 41.7%Temp 14.2 °CpH 7.53Ammonia 0.17 mg/l
Kirkby Brook above confluence with Simonswood BrookKirkby Brook4.2 kmLast sampled 8 Sep 2021, before the imported period
Simonswood Brook upstream of Kirkby BrookSimonswood Brook4.1 kmLast sampled 14 Oct 2010, before the imported period
Simonswood Brook above confluence Kirkby BrookSimonswood Brook4.1 km28 Sep 2026 · 10 days agoOxygen 84.4%Temp 12.2 °CpH 7.82Ammonia 0.055 mg/l
Croxteth Brook above the confluence with Knowsley BrookCroxteth Brook3.6 kmLast sampled 14 Oct 2010, before the imported period
Fazakerley Brook above confluence AltFazakerley Brook3.2 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 62.3%Temp 15.9 °CpH 7.51Ammonia 0.34 mg/l
Knowsley Brook upstream of East Lancs SewerKnowsley Brook3.2 kmLast sampled 12 Jan 2000, before the imported period
Knowsley Brook downstream of East Lancs SewerKnowsley Brook3.1 kmLast sampled 30 Jan 2001, before the imported period
River Alt upstream of Fazackerley sewage treatment works Storm TanksRiver Alt3.0 kmLast sampled 22 Jan 2009, before the imported period
River Alt above Fazakerley BrookRiver Alt2.7 kmLast sampled 8 Sep 2021, before the imported period
River Alt downstream of Fazakerley BrookRiver Alt2.4 kmLast sampled 10 Mar 2020, before the imported period
Knowsley Brook above confluence AltKnowsley Brook1.8 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 87.4%Temp 14 °CpH 7.55Ammonia 0.067 mg/l
Kirkby (Little) Brook above confluence AltKirkby Brook1.6 km10 Sep 2026 · 28 days agoOxygen 85.4%Temp 14.4 °CpH 7.69Ammonia 0.14 mg/l
Below Kirkby 15 points, 5 with samples
Sampling pointWatercourse (map)Below the gaugeLast sampleLatest results (river water)
River Alt at Bull Bridge AintreeRiver Alt1.0 km14 Aug 2026 · 55 days agoOxygen 101.2%Temp 19.9 °CpH 7.26Ammonia 0.1 mg/l
River Alt at Dunnings Bridge South SPT6River Alt3.2 kmLast sampled 28 Jan 2015, before the imported period
Alt downstream of Moorhey Brook SPT7River Alt4.1 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
River Alt upstream of Bridges Lane - Sefton Meadows InvestigationRiver Alt4.6 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
River Alt at Sefton Lane Bridge SPT8River Alt4.8 kmLast sampled 28 Jan 2015, before the imported period
River Alt above the confluence with Dovers Brook SPT9River Alt5.4 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
River Alt downstream of Dovers Brook SPT12River Alt5.5 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
Alt above the confluence with Maghull Brook SP15River Alt6.0 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
River Alt downstream of Maghull Brook SPT16River Alt6.1 kmLast sampled 21 Jun 2012, before the imported period
Lunt Meadows InflowRiver Alt6.4 km15 Feb 2024 · 2.6 years agoOxygen 95.5%Temp 12.9 °CpH 7.73Ammonia 2 mg/l
River Alt upstream of Hillhouse EtwRiver Alt8.3 km28 Sep 2026 · 10 days agoOxygen 93.6%Temp 14.8 °CpH 7.67Ammonia 0.25 mg/l
River Alt at Alt BridgeRiver Alt13 kmLast sampled 11 Mar 2020, before the imported period
River Alt upstream of Formby sewage treatment worksRiver Alt14 kmLast sampled 26 Sep 2014, before the imported period
River Alt downstream of Formby sewage treatment worksRiver Alt16 km9 Jul 2026 · 3 months agopH 7.38
River Alt above Altmouth Pumping StationRiver Alt16 km14 Aug 2026 · 55 days agoOxygen 46.1%Temp 21.3 °CpH 7.12Ammonia 0.12 mg/l

Distances are along the river to the gauge named. England's samples only.

FloodRadar does not grade these results: there is no overall score, and official river classifications are a separate dataset. A sample taken downstream of an overflow does not by itself show where anything in it came from. River connections and distances are traced on OS Open Rivers (edition 2026-04), which leaves out many small channels.

Water samples: Environment Agency Water Quality Archive, © Environment Agency and/or database right 2026, Open Government Licence v3.0.

Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database rights 2026.

Wave tracker for this river → Liverpool City Region rivers → All UK rivers