Surrey sewage leak kills hundreds of fish

Hundreds of fish have died following a leak in Surrey that resulted in a local river becoming contaminated.

It occurred when sewage was discharged into the River Blackwater at Camberley, according to the Environment Agency, which was called in on Friday (September 7th) following concerns raised by members of the public.

It reported that members of the public had spotted dead fish in the river between Camberley and Sandhurst and it quickly became apparent that the problem was not a small-scale one.

After officers from the Environment Agency deployed an aerator to improve oxygen levels and bring the pollution under control, an investigation was carried out, which found that effluent that had not been properly treated was the cause of the pollution.

In a statement, the agency confirmed that an investigation into the incident was underway: "Environment Agency officers attended the site and have found that approximately 300 fish died within a 2km stretch between Camberley and Sandhurst. Since Friday aerators have been deployed to help improve the oxygen levels in the river."

On Monday, the authority noted that the cause of the poor quality discharge to the River Blackwater has been brought under control and there have been no further reports of fish deaths over the weekend.

"We will continue to monitor the river and will be testing the area tomorrow to check the impact on the insect life in the river," the organisation added.

Another incident last weekend saw raw sewage spewing out of a drain onto a busy street in north Oxford for more than 24 hours.

After concerns were raised by residents on Islip Road, Thames Water was called and soon fixed the problem and apologised to residents.

"We were alerted to a blockage on Islip Road on Sunday and found the blockage was caused by a build-up of fats, oils and grease which clump together once they have been poured down the drains and form what we call 'fat-bergs', and these clog up the sewer," a spokesman confirmed.

He added that the company has now jetted the line to make sure it is now clear and apologised for the inconvenience caused, while reminding people to ensure they do not place anything irregular into toilets.