Pollution levels tested after 200 fish die in river (From Echo)

Pollution levels tested after 200 fish die in river

12:40am Saturday 4th July 2009

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UP to 200 fish have been found dead in the River Crouch.

The Environment Agency has now carried out a series of tests to see if the river has been polluted.

Dog walkers were horrified to find dead roach, bream, chub and carp, in a stretch of river leading from Memorial Park, off Highcliffe Road, Wickford, to the Anglian Water sewage works, off the old Southend Road, Shotgate.

Peter Steward, 51, of Seven Acres, Wickford, who regularly walks his dog along the riverbank, said: “It really saddens me because ten years ago, there was no life in the river, except a few sticklebacks.

“It has been building up over the past decade and we now have a huge variety of fish and lots of other wildlife like kingfishers. It’s awful to see so many fish dead.”

Mr Westall is convinced the water was polluted by toxic liquid washed in from a ditch, which passes under Runwell Road and along the edge of an allotments field before joining the Crouch from the Runwell side.

He said: “The fish were all dead downstream from the ditch, but they are still alive upstream.

“There was a lot of rain over the weekend, and the excess water could have washed any fertilizers or other chemicals that might have been left in the ditch into the main river.”

Battlesbridge councillor Roy Hart, 63, has taken Anglian Water to court twice over the past decade over claims leaks from the sewage works polluted the river.

He said: “I love fishing and it makes me quite upset to see so many fish dead in a really lovely stretch of river.

“We don’t know what caused it this time, but it’s a good thing the Environment Agency is investigating.”

Environment Agency spokeswoman Catherine Burbage said: “We were told about this on Monday and have been down to visit and make tests at the river every day since.

“We have not found the cause yet.

“It is difficult to tell if it was caused by some sort of pollution or reduced oxygen levels in the water.”

Sara Rowland, Anglian Water spokeswoman, said: “We take the issue of water pollution seriously, but we have been in liaison with the Environment Agency and there is nothing to suggest this incident is linked to Anglian Water.”

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