Dead fish spill onto riverbank
A ‘SEWAGE and oil spill’ has reportedly killed wildlife along the River Brent with dead fish washing up on the river bank.
Locals have been in uproar about the impact of the pollution and the Environment Agency, along with Thames Water, have been called in to investigate.
The pollution of the Ealing river has also caused horrible smells to spread across the area, those closest to the Brent river have complained it is so bad that they can’t use their gardens as a result.
One resident took to Facebook to report that he could smell the stench all round Ealing’s Pitshanger Park, he said: “I noticed on my walk around Pitshanger Park that the whole area was suffused with the unmistakable odour of the sewers.
“The water is somewhat cloudy and lacking in lustre, and there is evidence of scum and sludge in the slower pools. A huge amount of work has been going on to improve Brent, and this sort of thing is just appalling.”
Another furious resident said: “I have seen dead fish and eels all
along the river. I can’t stand the smell. I am struggling to sit in my garden because the smell is so bad.”
The spillage is thought to have come from a sewage pipe and investigations are continuing to work out the source of the pollution.
More than 8km of the river has been impacted and dozens of fish and aquatic life have been reported dead.
Thames 21 is a charity which looks after the capital’s waterways. It released a statement which said: “The River Brent is rich with wildlife that usually isn’t seen, but sadly became more visible as fish and eels were observed dead, dying or in distress following a major pollution incident affecting the lower Brent (downstream of Stonebridge to Hanwell) this week.
“The prompt action of local people have made the greatest contribution to spotting, initial reporting and ongoing monitoring of the pollution and its impacts. Thames Water (TW) have also acted in a timely manner.”
A report from the Environment Agency about the pollution of the River Brent in Ealing, said: “Sewage and oil has been affecting approximately 8km of the River Brent. Fisheries Officers are travelling to the site to assess the situation further.
“Our officers will continue to monitor the incident and will deploy additional resources as necessary.
“We are coordinating our response with our partners at Thames Water. Our investigations into the cause of the incident are ongoing.”
Anyone with additional information should contact the EA’s Incident Communications Service on 0800 80 70 60 quoting reference 02001488.