Water pollution in Hurley Brook traced
A ‘third party’ is believed to be ‘illegally discharging’ material into a much-loved Telford brook, a water company has said.
Hurley Brook runs through a wooden part of northern Telford, south of the Leegomery roundabout and on towards Leegate Avenue where a group has been working for years to try to get it cleaned up.
Severn Trent Water has told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that its teams have traced an issue and teams are investigating.
Jessica Hamlett, Severn Trent Waste Team Manager, said: “Our teams have traced the issue and can confirm it’s being caused by a third party that is illegally discharging into the network without consent.
“The Environment Agency are aware of this, and our teams are supporting them with their ongoing investigations.”
Severn Trent Water added that the colour of the Hurley Brook does appear brown due to silt from a former colliery site on the south side of the M54, which the Environment Agency is “also aware of”.
The issue of water pollution in Hurley Brook was raised at a meeting this week of Hadley & Leegomery Parish Council.
Councillor Phil Millward (Labour, Hadley Castle Ward) has been working with the Friends of Hurley Brook in calling for action. They have recorded the water being a “blue-grey colour and sporadic incidents of white foam and traces of sewage”.
Councillor Millward told the meeting that he is hoping to bring Severn Trent and the Environment Agency together with residents.
“My sole intention is to stop the pollution. I understand that Severn Trent is not responsible for the pollution so it is down to the Environment Agency.
“I am waiting for them to come back to me and will report back at our meeting in July.”
Marion Vers, co-ordinator of the Friends of Hurley Brook, said: “Pollution has been an issue for more than 10 years now and in the last two and a half years we have recorded more than 20 incidents in the brook.
“We regularly monitor it and see constant pollution where the water is a blue-grey colour and sporadic incidents of white foam and traces of sewage . They are only the incidents that we see. Our phosphate readings show there are other unseen sources of pollution.
“The brook is surrounded by woodland and used to be a natural watercourse before it was straightened to become part of Telford’s flood defences. It does not support much life but it is a beautiful area and we would like to see the water have an unpolluted quality so life comes back to it.
“We know people who live in the area and used to fish there. We don’t have to tolerate pollution, it is illegal. There are three agencies who are meant to hold the polluters to account. We want them to do their job.”
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We are aware of the suspected pollution issue on the Hurley Brook and understand that Severn Trent are investigating the issue.
“We encourage members of the public to report any pollution incidents to our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
