Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Children warned to stay away from polluted stream
CHILDREN are being told to stay away from the Nailbourne between Elham and Bridge after Southern Water revealed it was pumping sewage into the stream.
The company says the emergency measure is necessary to prevent foul water backing up into people’s homes.
It blames rising ground water levels caused by the especially wet winter and says it has carried out extensive work on the sewer pipe in recent years to try to prevent it. It says the wastewater is heavily diluted and is filtered before flowing into the stream.
But the announcement has alarmed villagers and angered environmental campaigner Emily Shirley, who says the sewer pipe is still not up to the task. She said: “We predicted flooding and sewage overspills would worsen if Southern Water, the Environment Agency and Canterbury City Council refused to accept the 14km sewage pipe that serves most of the villages from Patrixbourne to Elham is not fit for purpose.
“It is highly negligent of the authorities to have permitted building of more dwellings in Bridge recently when they knew that the sewerage system was not up to scratch.
“This is the fourth time in recent years that sewage has been pumped into the Nailbourne without an environmental permit.”
The Environment Agency said it had been informed by the company of the measures it was tak- ing and was investigating.
Spokesman Michelle Southby said: “We do not support this as a long term solution and ultimately water companies must invest in the sewerage system to reduce infiltration in areas where they know there are groundwater flooding issues.
“This has the potential to cause pollution to the local environment and we are monitoring the river where the pumping is occurring to assess whether there is any chemical or bacterial impact.”
Jill Thomas, of the Little Stour & Nailbourne River Management Group, added: “Clearly this is not a satisfactory situation and is now happening far too often.
“A cottage in Patrixbourne has lost sanitation and the contractors working on behalf of Southern Water are using tankers to remove the excess which is over- spilling from a manhole in Old Palace Road in front of Riverside Cottage.
“More rain will mean the water in the stream is likely to be polluted with run-off from the fields anywhere that sheep and cattle graze.
“Therefore, the advice to keep children and pets out of the stream applies more or less everywhere.
“The Nailbourne is polluted at Bekesbourne Recreation Ground Ford in Old Palace Road.
“I have now put up warning signs, provided by Southern Water, at both ends of Old Palace Road.
“The River Management Group is scheduled to meet on Saturday, February 16, at 9.30am at Littlebourne Village Hall and this subject will be top of the agenda. I expect Southern Water and the EA to be in attendance.”