Scientists
are turning detective in an attempt to improve
water quality in the River Neet at Bude.
Over the coming weeks
the Agency will be carrying out a detailed
survey of pipes discharging into the river
around Bencoolen Bridge from the Killerton
Road area of the town.
The investigation follows
a series of samples taken by the Agency’s
Monitoring and Data team that contained
consistently high levels of bacteria. The
pollution is believed to be affecting bathing
water quality at nearby Summerleaze Beach.
Officers will be working
closely with South West Water and North
Cornwall District Council.
By concentrating on pipes containing the
highest level of contamination, officers
hope to find out where the pollution is
coming from.
Some of the pipes draining
from Killerton Road date from Victorian
times and are in poor condition. In addition
to leaks, it is possible the pollution could
be coming from misconnections to local surface
water drains.
The Agency will be using
some hi-tech methods to pinpoint the pollution
including a spore- producing bacterium called
Bacillus Globigii that mimics the bacteria
found in sewage and enables scientists to
trace the movement and distribution of potentially
harmful bacteria.
The team will also be using colourful tracer
dyes.
‘We carried out a preliminary
survey last month to determine which pipes
discharge from Killerton Road into the River
Neet. The next phase of the project is to
take a closer look at the pipes around Bencoolen
Bridge to try to find out the source of
the bacterial contamination,’ said James
Wimpress for the Environment Agency.
‘We’ve already discovered
that some of the pipes run close to a main
sewer that might be leaking into the surface
water system. There’s a history of bathing
water quality problems at Bude so it is
important we press ahead with this investigation,’
said James Wimpress.
Once they have completed
their survey of the Killerton Road area,
the investigation team could target other
areas of the town in a bid to clean-up the
River Neet and improve bathing water quality
at nearby Summerleaze Beach.
+ More
Environment Agency bring
Flood Warnings service to Stockbridge
Environment Agency staff are heading to
Stockbridge, near Keighley, on Tuesday,
24 March, to advise residents and businesses
on flood preparedness.
They will also be offering
help with signing up to the free flood warnings
service - Floodline Warnings Direct (FWD).
The team will be making
door-to-door visits in the morning, and
will be on hand to meet residents and give
advice at the Get United event, from 1pm
to 4pm at Victoria Hall in Keighley.
The Environment Agency
is committed to improving awareness and
encouraging people to find out how they
can prepare for a flood.
Flood officer Graham
Lindsey and the local flood incident team
will be going door-to-door to meet residents,
and will be joined on Tuesday by Keighley
councillor Dorothy Clamp. This follows door-knocking
that took place in the area with councillor
Zafar Ali. The Environment Agency works
closely with local authorities and communities
across West Yorkshire to help them to protect
themselves against flooding.
Graham Lindsey called
on Stockbridge residents to sign up to Floodline
Warnings Direct. He said: “The service gives
those who have signed up a warning in advance
of flooding so they can take action to protect
themselves and their property. It is free
to register and signing up couldn’t be easier.
“There is a history
of flooding in the area - in autumn 2000
around 300 properties flooded. Since the
2000 floods, we have worked hard to reduce
flood risk in the area, however we can only
reduce the risk, we can’t eliminate it.
“Climate change is bringing
more and more extreme weather and is increasing
the likelihood of flooding. It is really
important that everyone learns how to protect
themselves and their property.”
Floodline Warnings Direct
sends an automatic message to the landlines
and mobile telephones of those who have
signed up, telling them when flooding is
imminent and what action to take to protect
their home or business.
The Environment Agency
is working to reduce flood risk in the Keighley
area.
Staff have completed
channel clearance works, including removing
obstructions, and trimming bushes and trees
that are likely to be a potential flood
risk. In the summer, more flood defences
were installed on the left bank, immediately
downstream of Aireworth Road in Keighley,
and defences were repaired. De-silting has
also been carried out in the same area.
