A mystery discharge that has been running down a road in Tameside for more than 18 months may be affecting public health, the Environment Agency has said. The leak on Alt Hill Lane in Ashton-under-Lyne has prompted concerns from local residents, who describe it as a major health hazard.
Residents raise concerns over long-running leak
An anonymous local resident, speaking on behalf of the community, said the leak had been continuously discharging down Alt Hill Lane for more than 18 months. The resident, who feared it may be sewage, said the issue was reported last year but alleged that no action had been taken to isolate the biohazard or protect the public.
The main area affected is near the old railway bridge and the entrance to the public bridleway on the rural road, which sits on the border of Tameside and Oldham. The path is popular with walkers, dog walkers, children and cyclists, and recently it has been impossible to cross the road to the opposite path entrance without walking through the discharge.
Council and agency investigate source
Both Tameside Council and the Environment Agency say they are investigating. Council chiefs believe the source of the issue is on private land and that a number of neighbouring properties have septic tanks.
The Manchester Evening News understands that after being informed of the issue in August this year, United Utilities inspected all local sewers and could not identify any problems. Samples taken from a nearby stream by the Environment Agency raised no cause for concern and showed no indication of sewage.
Authorities respond to contamination concerns
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Our officers have visited the Alt Hill Lane area because of concerns raised by residents and we are working hard to establish the source of the discharge. As this contamination may be affecting public highways and public health and this is dealt with by the local authority, we have also notified Tameside council."
A Tameside Council spokesperson said: "We are aware of the issue and our teams and The Environment Agency are working together to manage the situation. Our understanding is that the source of the issue is located on private land and it is complex in that there are a number of private properties within the vicinity with sceptic tanks. While the council is not responsible for the fault at source, we are investigating further so we can work with the landowner responsible to address the issue and we will take enforcement action if necessary if the issue isn’t addressed. In the meantime, our engineering teams have attended the area on several occasions to clean the gully that has also been affected."
