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23
Sept 2024
Oak Beck hit by new pollution incident
The Environment Agency is investigating a new incident of river pollution in Harrogate.
A large quantity of rusty-orange-tinged effluent was seen being discharged into Oak Beck on Sunday, from a surface water outfall pipe, to the rear of Harrogate Leisure and Wellness Centre off Ripon Road.
Although Yorkshire Water is permitted to discharge sewer overflow during periods of very heavy rainfall when the sewerage system becomes inundated, this incident occurred before last night’s rain, after a spell of dry weather.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency (EA) told the Stray Ferret:
We are working with Yorkshire Water to investigate reports of water discolouration in the River Nidd at Oak Beck.
Water quality tests to date show minimal impact on the environment and work is ongoing to trace the source of the discolouration. When the source is identified, we will ensure any required action is taken so this doesn’t happen again.
We urge members of the public to report any potential signs of pollution directly to our hotline on 0800 80 70 60.
A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water added:
We were made aware of the discoloration seen coming from a surface water outfall into Oak Beck [on Sunday], and quickly attended alongside the Environment Agency.
We are continuing to support with EA investigations to find the source, which we believe to be from a third party.
Although the odd-coloured effluent is not reported to have smelled bad, according to local conservationist Keith Wilkinson, there was also a stench in the area on Sunday evening that he attributed to agriculture.
Yorkshire Water’s live storm overflow map shows that the same sewer overflow discharged untreated sewage for over an hour in the early hours of Monday morning, when rain was falling heavily.
Mr Wilkinson sees the pollution, the stench and the sewage as potentially a triple whammy reminiscent of a previous incident that the beck is still recovering from.
He said:
It reminds me of the September/October 2022 pollution incident when, after days one and two of gasworks residues followed by raw sewage escapes, on day three we had green/brown agricultural slurry along the length of the Oak Beck from higher up Oakdale. But this slurry was washed in from the fields – it didn’t come from the storm overflow.
Less than a week ago, volunteers from Bilton Conservation Group – which Mr Wilkinson co-founded in 1982 – took water samples from Oak Beck to test for fish DNA as a way of determining how well the beck had recovered from that incident. The results are expected back from a commercial laboratory within the next two weeks.
BCG member John Branson has collected samples from the latest spill to determine what it may consist of and whether it contains any harmful E. coli bacteria or faecal coliforms. His results are expected within two days.
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