An unidentified substance turned the River Irwell a milky green colour on Saturday, August 8, with investigations underway into its source.
Councillor suspects organised dump
Bury councillor Ken Simpson, representing Radcliffe East, said he suspects the spill to be an organised dump due to the sheer quantity of the substance and reports of it increasing and decreasing at different times of day. The contamination is thought to have started in the Rectory Lane area of Radcliffe and spread downstream in large quantities.
The Environment Agency said it is investigating the source and has taken samples for analysis. United Utilities, responsible for water and waste water services in the region, confirmed the spill was not coming from its network.
No strong chemical smell
Coun Simpson, a member of the Radcliffe First party on Bury council, reported no strong chemical smell in the area. He said a senior United Utilities officer called to the site suspected it could be a waste milk dump.
He said: “I’ve just been to the location of what appears to be a spillage of an unidentified substance into the River Irwell alongside the new footbridge on Rectory Lane. United Utilities are on scene but have already confirmed it isn’t one of their outlets but a private drain from one of Radcliffe's ancient “goits” which now run beneath local housing.”
Residents report past incidents
Residents say this is not the first time unidentified substances have contaminated the waters in that area. One person said spills happen a lot there, adding this incident looked very big. Another said: “It’s just awful, even if it’s ‘just’ milk it will have a massive impact and strip the affected area of oxygen. Britain's rivers are in a terrible state.”
The Environment Agency confirmed it received a report of a similar incident last month. A spokesman said: “We take our role in cleaning up our rivers, lakes and seas seriously. We are investigating the source of this white substance and have also taken samples for analysis. Any suspected pollution incidents should be reported as soon as possible to our 24/7 hotline on 0800 80 70 60, or online.”
A United Utilities spokesman said: “Following reports of pollution in the River Irwell in Radcliffe on Saturday, our teams inspected our assets and confirmed the substance was not linked to our network.”
