Raw sewage discharged into Mersey, Micker Brook and Gatley Brook

by Lib Dem team on 21 July, 2021

The Lib Dem team is very concerned about data from The Rivers Trust showing that raw sewage was discharged into Micker Brook, Gatley Brook and the Mersey for hundreds of hours over 2019.

Figures show more discharges in 2020, though the flooding complicates the picture.

“We have had several reports of people jumping into Micker Brook at Redrocks in Cheadle and then falling ill. We’ve also seen discoloured water in Gatley Brook on at least one occasion. This sewage being put into our streams and rivers is a serious health hazard and needs to be tackled.” said Iain.

You can explore the data yourself at: Is My River Fit To Play In? (arcgis.com)

   11 Comments

11 Responses

  1. John Hartley says:

    Is there any indication how this is happening?

    Obviously, it’s not “normal” – the sewage drains do not discharge into small streams.

  2. Alan says:

    There was a big article in the Guardian last week John. One of the southern water boards was fined millions for doing this over a lengthy period. It’s illegal yet (again) no one went to jail. The water companies do it because it appears they can get away with it.

    • John Hartley says:

      Thanks, mate. I’ll look it up.

      On reflection I suppose it may be relatively easy to determine where the pollution of, say, the Micker Brook is coming from. The authorities would just need to take tests at various upstream points till it becomes clear of pollution. The discharge must therefore between that point and the previous pint where there was pollution

  3. Karen Sandler says:

    Our house backs on to the Micker Brook by the weir on Higher Mill Park. There has been an awful smell like sewage coming from the river over the last few weeks, which has not happened before. We have lived here since 1982.
    The Environment Agency are fobbing this off onto Stockport Council (yet again). However, the EA are the ones with the statutory powers and they must be responsible for these incidents. Polluting a water course is their responsibility.

    • Julie McDonald says:

      I read with interest your response to these politicians raising the issue of heavily polluted waterway Micker Brook. The reality is they’ve had full data photographs and reports from myself from 2012 through to 2017 when I gave up as clearly they lacked the capacity to understand the narrative issues I passed photographs to Sheila Oliver an environmental campaigner who has published many of them. At 7 arches they’ve built a holding tank pumped to discharge at will to the brook at force for days filthy deposits hang in trees I’d suggest the smell you describe is attributable to exactly those actions. Pollution isn’t restricted to visible filth either chemicals are clearly present ( snaps sent to Sheila as Dr Watkins Director of Public Health at SMBC declared at a meeting with Mary Smith ‘rivers are natural sewers’ which the EA staff present took great exception to. Filthy items were seen strung on bushes along the river during a site visit. I now live in Scotland away from that debacle but my son has recurrent Hodgkins Lymphoma, his cousin is dead. Both played in that brook amongst the filth back in early 90’s and all Lib Dem politicians were informed of the burns to his feet indeed Mr Porgess arranged for the 5ft outlet draining Adswood tip directly to the brook to be grated over to stop local kids access. Exactly why suddenly they are jumping on the bandwagon remains to be seen.

      • Iain Roberts says:

        Hi Julie, thank you for your message, and I’m very sorry to hear about your son.

        However, I must correct some of your claims. I don’t believe I or my Lib Dem colleagues in Cheadle & Gatley have ever received any information from you on this topic. I’m very glad Cllr Porgess was able to assist you, though.

  4. David Hulme says:

    Blame privatisation. I assume water company shareholders never have to swim in rivers as they will probably have their own private pools.

    • Alan says:

      Exactly David that point was made in the article. Shareholder dividends have dwarfed what the water companies have invested in the infrastructure and will continue to do so until there’s a change of government.

  5. […] voted this week to allow water companies to continue dumping sewage into our streams and rivers. As we reported back in July, sewage has been discharged into local streams and rivers for hundreds of hours over the last two […]

  6. Julie McDonald says:

    I attach the link to my query and your acknowledgment in 2016 as an aid to when this was raised repeatedly once on here and in numerous emails to Cheadle Heath Councillors I’ve requested my laptops are shipped up here to review everything I’ll be in touch thereafter.

    https://cheadleandgatley.mycouncillor.org.uk/2016/09/21/whats-coming-up-at-cheadle-area-committee-27th-sept-2016/#

    • Iain Roberts says:

      Hi Julie, thank you for confirming my earlier statement. Feel free to pass more information over as and when you have it.

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