Cross-party and non-party call for Brent Council to play its part in tackling Wealdstone Brook pollution

 'Nauseating' - Wealdstone Brook earlier this year

 

Wembley Matters has covered the long-running issue of sewage and other pollution of the Wealdstone Brook that runs through parts of Harrow and Brent. Environmental campaigners, local residents and local political parties, have joined together to put pressure on the Environment Agency and Thames Water to take action.

 

As a member of Brent Green Party I welcome this cross-party and non-party approach to an important local environmental issue that affects everyone regardless of party.

 

At Full Council on July 11th Kenton resident John Poole will be make a deputation about the matter and later a motion from the Conservative Group, which I hope will received support from across the council chamber, will ask Brent Council to do all in its power to ensure the brook is cleaned up by the relevant agencies,  rectify wrongly connected foul sewers and consider legal action.

 

This is the Conservative Group Motion

Pollution of the Wealdstone Brook

 

The Wealdstone Brook, which runs in open water, starts in Harrow, runs through Woodcock Park in Kenton and then into Wembley past all the new developments around the stadium before reaching the River Brent, has been heavily polluted with untreated human sewage and toxic chemicals for some considerable time.

 

The Wealdstone Brook has nothing living in it – it is effectively a dead river.  The toxic smells which have come from liquids evaporating at low temperatures from the Brook water are nauseating and residents who live close to the Brook or have been walking close to the Brook in Woodcock Park, have been feeling physically sick as a result of these noxious odours.

 

 

Thames Water, who have been investigating the sources of the pollution, have admitted liability for cleaning up the pollution.  They have agreed that the pollution of the Wealdstone Brook is one of the worst they have come across but as a result of the shared responsibility for the maintenance of the Brook as it passes through Brent, Brent Council and the Environment Agency must also share some of the responsibility.

 

As a result the residents living nearby have expressed their disgust at the state of the Brook and consider that Brent Council should have declared this to be a ‘Major Incident’ once it had reports of untreated human sewage, toxic gases and smells vaporising from the water of the Wealdstone Brook.

 

This Council therefore resolves:

 

To do whatever is necessary and within the Council’s power to ensure that the water in Wealdstone Brook is cleaned up.

 

To do what the Council can to ensure that the agencies concerned take the necessary steps to detect and rectify all wrongly connected foul sewers which run into the Brook and to put them right at no cost to Council tax payers, in Brent.

 

To seek legal opinion as to whether legal action can be taken against the agencies that have responsibility for ensuring that the Wealdstone Brook is free of pollution if there is no immediate rectification of the problem.

 

 

To ensure in light of a serious risk to public health and as a matter of urgency the necessary actions are taken as soon as possible to put the foregoing into practice. 

 

Councillor Michael Maurice

 

Kenton Ward

Update on Thame Water's clean-up of the Wealdstone Brook

From Thames Water 

Wealdstone Brook Pollution Update

Date: 27 May 2022 Watercourse clean

• Discharge of the fatty/oil waste from the Becmead Outfall has indicatively been reducing over the past week. Booms have been placed in the culvert upstream to limit ingress into the Brook. Routine pump-outs of the booms will be undertaken to prevent build-up. Please advise if any build up bypasses the booms and Thames Water Operations will pump-out.

• A programme for routine flushing has now been finalised and is planned to start on 27 May. Currently this is planned once per week at two locations in the Brook with the aim to scale up/down based on weather conditions.

  Investigations to find the source of the Pollution:

• The discharge of the fatty/oil waste from the Becmead Outfall is indicatively reducing. Mitigation is in place to prevent further ingress into Brook.

• The Investigation crew is completing checks of the culvert, foul and surface network near Kenton Lane to establish if there are any other significant sources of pollution contributing to the issue, specifically sewage.

• A 24 hr telemetry sonde has been installed downstream of the Becmead Outfall as part of the investigation to confirm the source the fatty/oily waste.

  Next steps

• Thames Water Operations to continue monitor the discharge at Becmead closely over the next week to confirm any reduction in fat discharges. Booms and sandbags now placed in the culvert to minimise further discharge.

• Pump-out of the booms when necessary to minimise odour

• Further flushing and cleaning of the brook is planned to minimise the odour.

  .

  Next update: Latest Tuesday 31 May

  .

Thames Water updates on Wealdstone Brook pollution

Thames Water have suppied Wembley Matters with the folloing updates on the polution of Wealdstone Brook

Wealdstone Brook Pollution Update

Date: 13 May 2022 Watercourse clean

·       Daily pump outs at key locations have been undertaken to minimise odour.

·       Rainfall on 11 May appears to have provided a flush of the surface water system

·       The clean-up team will be onsite across the weekend in expectation of warmer weather.

·       A programme for routine flushing frequency is being finalised with the contractor.

Investigations to find the source of the Pollution:

·       Following multiple CCTV and man sewer entries, several point sources of fatty/oil waste have been identified in the Forward Drive/Cullington Close area and we are undertaking the formal gathering of evidence to establish if these are linked to the current pollution to the Wealdstone Brook.

·       From next week we will be beginning investigations into a different catchment area (Greenhill/Harrow) that feeds the Becmead Road outfall to continue the investigation.

Next steps

·       Thames Water Operations to begin investigations in Harrow Greenhill catchment.

·       Identified sources of fat/oil waste to be addressed through Thames Water’s formal

investigation and enforcement processes.

·       Further flushing and cleaning of the brook is planned to minimise the odour.

Next update: Latest Tuesday 17 May

Date: 10 May 2022 Watercourse clean

·       A manual clean of the section from Becmead Avenue to Kenton Road was conducted across Friday 6 May – Sunday 8 May. The cleaning crew also extended the section past Kenton Road.

·       Periodic flushes of the brook by Thames Water tankers are being arranged to limit stagnation and reduce odour.

·       A further pump out of the brook by the Kenton Lane trash screens is being conducted on the afternoon of 10 May following an increase in odour reported.

Investigations to find the source of the Pollution:

·       Following tracing work last week, the investigation crew found evidence of two potential wastewater inputs suspected to be linked to this current pollution event within the proximity of the Forward Drive area of Wealdstone.

·       Additional Operational resources have been present onsite at this location 9 May and 10 May working to confirm if these sources are the cause.

·       One input is a misconnected commercial premises – details of this property have been passed to our commercial and trade enforcement teams to resolve as an urgent priority.

·       The second input found was evidence of a previous fat/foul discharge from an unmapped surface line directly into the culvert. The source of this discharge is yet to be established as it is originating from an unmapped line which slows the ability to trace the source.

Next steps

·       Thames Water Operations continuing to trace the unmapped line on 10 May for the source of the fat/foul waste discharge.

·       Further flushing and cleaning of the brook is planned to minimise the odour. Next update: Latest Friday 13 May

 

A glimmer of hope on Wealdstone Brook pollution?

 Yesterday Thames Water tweeted to Wealdstone Brook campaigners:

Our teams are currently working hard to clean the brook up. They believe they have found where the pollution is coming from and have plans to CCTV the line over this weekend to determine that the pollution is coming from where they suspect. The minute there are any more updates we will let you know.

There  have been a few false dawns in this saga so don't hold your breath (rather than your nose!)

 

Thames Water deny sewer collapse or finding the cause of sewage in the Wealdstone Brook - the search for the stink goes on as summer approaches

This afternoon Thames Water issued the following statement on yesterday's story that reported claims of a a sewer collapse in St Leonards Avenue, Harrow,  and speculation that this may have been the cause of raw sewage pollution of the Wealdstone Brook.

There is not a collapsed sewer in this area, however we have relined a section of pipe as part of our planned maintenance work in which we proactively inspect the sewers and repair any defects as we go. We do not however believe the section we relined has been leaking into Wealdstone Brook and our investigation into the source of the pollution in the watercourse continues.

BREAKING: Has the cause of the Wealdstone Brook stink been found at last?

NOTE THURSDAY MAY 5TH - SEE SEPARATE POST. THAMES HAVE DENIED A SEWER COLLAPSE IN THE AREA

St Leonards Avenue and Wealdstone Brook from above

After 11 weeks of foul sewage in the Wealdstone Book causing an overpowering stench, not to mention possible dangerous gases, it appeared tonight that the cause may have been found.

McAllisters, hired by Thames Water, are said to have found a collapsed foul sewer on the corner of St Leonards Avenue in Harrow. Thames Water have asked McAllisters to reline it.

 

Wealdstone Brook: This gas is dangerous

 

Yesterday's tweet which brought a visit from Thames Water

 

 

Message from John Poole yesterday:

 

Well, as a result of Martin's blog, I had an 8.40 pm visit this evening from Thames Water. We went to the back of my garden and then…even this guy had to retreat backwards at the overpowering stench. Even he realised how dangerous it was. This gas is very serious. it needs a big intervention tomorrow. Something is very seriously wrong. 

 

I am now convinced that a septic tank is periodically emptying into the Brook during the day and night. Whatever the 'misconnections(s)' this tank is directly connected to the Brook. Hence the periodic but not consistent stench. The chemical vapours from a septic tank evaporate quickly from cold water. I would guess the connection is fairly close to the end of Kenton Lane on the Harrow side. My guess…

 

Editor’s note:  This is now a Public Health crisis. Apart from running close to suburban gardens and through a public park Weladstone Brook runs close to St Gregory’s High School and Uxendon Manor Primary School.

If you were affected by sewer flooding on July 12th 2021 fill in this form for protection measures

 From Thames Water

We’re supporting our customers in London affected by sewer flooding in July 2021. The storms that caused this are rare, but we want to reduce the impact they could have on homes and businesses.

We’re planning to survey the sewers of the properties that reported flooding using our sewer flooding questionnaire. If the survey shows the risk of sewer flooding is higher, we'll install devices, such as one-way valves, to help protect these properties.

If you flooded on 12 July 2021 and haven't yet submitted a form to us, you can complete it now to be included. 

 Newspaper coverage of July 12th 2021 floods

LINK TO FORM

 

Wealdstone Brook campaigners call on Barry Gardiner MP to pressure agencies for urgent action to solve the pollution problem

 

Alicia Close on April 1st 2022

With frustration mounting over the lack of action by the appropriate agencies over toxic sewage contamination in the Wealdstone Brook a call has been made to Brent North MP  Barry Gardiner for support.

Dear Mr Gardiner,

We support all parks groups in Brent as part of the London and National Friends of Parks organisations.  We are supported by Mayoral funded Parks for London who advise and train London Councils and parks departments.  

We have joined the Brent and Harrow Rivers Alliance which was formed out of Harrow Parks biodiversity management groups and Brent Friends of Wealdstone Brook and Friends of Woodcock Park. 

We all call upon you to support the need for action from the Environment Agency, Thames Water and Brent Council to rectify this consistent river pollution issue that is in its 10th week and getting worse due to lack of causation tracking in a logical manner, based upon previous incidents at this time of the year (last year).   The Thames Water officer in charge is new and has been finding some difficulty in coordinating action, unlike previous years. There seemed to be a lack of staff, willingness to fund solutions and the result is more funds are now needed to reach a solution that returns the Brook to at least what is was 11 weeks ago.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Brent Parks Forum 

 

Lidding Road Garage development approved despite many doubts over Thames Water assurances about sewage and flooding in the area

 Brent Planning Committee tonight approved the planning application for the Lidding Road Garages site in Kenton by four votes in favour, 3 abstentions and one against.

Cllrs Butt, Kennelly and Johnson abstained because they were not convinced by assurances from Thames Water over the flooding and sewage sitution which has been going on for some time and worsened considerably over the weekend. Thames Water attributed the problems to 'misconnections' when foul water is wrongly connected and flows into Wealdstone Brook. 

Cllr Michael Maurice who voted against said he had no confidence at all in Thames Water's ability to deal with this situation and said he needed assurances that there was no risk to the propsoed development and to neighbouring properties. 

Evidence was given by John Poole demonstrating that there had been surface water flooding despite Thames Water claiming that there had been no incidents.

Agents for the developer said they has satisfied Thames Water with their plans for sustainable drainage. They insisted that their plans would not worsen the current situation and perhaps make it better.

 

 

This is John Poole's  excellent illustrated presentation:

This is a map produced by Thames Water showing the known misconnections – the red dots and lots of them – of foul surface water and foul sewage water in the Brent and Harrow Kenton areas. 

 

 

This is a map produced by the Environment Agency showing who they believe are the riparian owners with regards to the Wealdstone Brook in the Kenton area of Brent. Note that Brent Council is assumed to be the riparian owner of large sections of the Wealdstone Brook and its banks – this includes council owned land as well as council owned properties.

 

 

Last week the Wealdstone Brook was at its worst ever. Human excrement was seen floating in the shallow waters of the brook through Woodcock Park. The smell from the brook was vile. The water was more than polluted – it was toxic. In 50 years living in Brent close to the brook I have never known it as bad.

 

This isn’t an issue of house values but it is an issue of health values

 

The drainage map shows the foul surface and foul sewage pipes that run across the proposed development at the end of Lidding Road. The red dot on plot is the manhole cover which overflowed on October 5^th last year. 

 

 

Brent Council has produced a number of climate emergency documents. I have produced copies of two of them for you.  One covers biodiversity and the other is about tackling the climate emergency. Both make it a central point that we need to protect and improve our remaining green spaces by making them greener.

 

 

 

We in Kenton are working with the council to green up our area  and make a big contribution to brent council’s target of being carbon neutral by 2030.

 

Both proposed planning applications run counter to these green policies of Brent Council. I therefore urge you to request from Oliver Myers, the Brent Council sustainability officer, a report on the impact of both proposed developments before you make a final decision. This would also coincide with the final report of the London Flood Review which is looking into the causes of the serious flooding events which hit London on the 12^th and 25^th July 2021. The final report is due out this summer.

 

I have highlighted the problems of the serious pollution of the Wealdstone Brook which is close to the proposed Lidding Road development. until an independent water analysis shows that the water quality in the brook is a least close to safe, then any and all proposed housing developments should be suspended pending works by Thames Water and the Environment Agency to improve the situation.

 

I understand that Brent planners have to take the word of Thames Water with regards to drainage systems in the area and that they are safe for further connections. I have to say that the experiences of local residents and the words from various engineers from Thames Water and Lanes for Drains that this is not the case.

 

I urge you to delay a decision on the proposed planning applications until the London Flood Review has completed its work and published its findings and that you have received a report from your sustainability officer.

 

We don’t need chemical warfare in the Kenton area of Brent – we already have it on a daily basis from the highly toxic and polluted water in the Wealdstone Brook. There are trace levels of oxygen in the water – then there are trace levels of oxygen on Mars.

 

Brent Council shares residents' concern over build-up of sewage in the Wealdstone Brook. Thames Water will conduct an immediate clean-up of the river

Shared concern

 

 

 Yesterday morning Wembley Matters asked Brent Council

 

As Brent Council is a Category One Responder under the Civil Contingencies Act could the Council state what action they are taking regarding the contamination of the Wealdstone Brook by raw sewage over the Easter weekend? This will include any actions required of  Thames Water.

 

At 5.27pm tonight a Brent Council spokesperson said:

 

We share residents' concerns about the build-up of sewage in Wealdstone Brook. Thames Water has assured us it will conduct an immediate clean-up of the river.

 

In addition, we are urgently working with Thames Water and the Environment Agency to investigate the cause of the problem so that together action is taken to resolve the issue and improve the water quality in the long-term.

  

Brent Council notes to Editor:

 

·      Thames Water is responsible for cleaning the Brook of sewage. The council is responsible for clearing debris that may cause blockages, for example, tipped rubbish and logs against grill

 

·      The council is responsible for enforcing against any connection problems that may be found to have caused the pollution.

 

 

Agencies united in complacency over the Lidding Road Garage development as raw sewage just keeps rolling along in the nearby Wealdstone Brook. Planners recommend approval.

 

Something nasty is stinking out the Neighbourhood

After a Bank Holiday weekend when residents put up with a nasty stench from the Wealdstone Brook as raw sewage drifted lazily through Kenton in the unusual heat, Brent Planners have issued a Supplementary Report on the nearby Lidding Garages Planning Application that is being decided at Planning  Committee tonight.

This follows an additional comment received by planners. Despite the concerns voiced in the comment based on a resident's first-hand  experience,  planning officers are none the less recommending that councillors approve the application.

This is the report:

Brent Council MUST act on Wealdstone Brook sewage contamination crisis

 Further evidence was sent to me yesterday of the high level of sewage pollution in the Wealdstone Brook in Kenton that increased over the weekend.

Despite an evening exchange of Direct Messages with Thames Water the problem continued. The photographs of the brook in Woodcock Park below were taken yesterday. A public health crisis is threatened.

Yesterday I sent the following request to Brent Council's press desk but have had no response:

As Brent Council is a Category One Responder under the Civil Contingencies Act could the Council state what action they are taking regarding the contamination of the Wealdstone Brook by raw sewage over the Easter weekend. This will include any actions required of  Thames Water.

 

 

 

 

Thames Water will continue to flush Wealdstone Brook over the summer months to prevent the build-up of smells

 Following reports on Wembley Matters about the problems in the Wealdstone Brook, Neil Levy, Thames Water field operations specialist said: 

 

We were made aware of suspected pollution in Wealdstone Brook and have been working hard to clean up the watercourse.

We first received reports of odour from the brook in March, however due to location of the watercourse, its steep banks and the large operational equipment and tankers we needed to use, we first had to ensure our engineers could safely carry out the work before they were able to flush and clean the river on Monday April 4th.

During the clean-up, our team found and removed waste including rotten food and bird seed and objects from the river, which we don’t believe came from the sewer system. There was also evidence of pollution from misconnected pipes, which allow household waste to get in to the surface water sewer rather than the foul network.

 

Over the summer months we’ll continue to flush the brook to help prevent the build-up of smells and we’ll continue to work with local councils and residents on tackling misconnected businesses and properties.

 

For information 

 

• Over the last eight years, Thames Water has spent over £500,000 in catchment investigations, sewer maintenance and repairs to reduce the pollution to Wealdstone Brook.
  
• Wastewater can unintentionally crossover from the foul to the surface through various methods, such as through defects in the sewers that can lead to wastewaster escaping through tiny holes and cracks, blockages or misconnected properties (when a residence incorrectly connects foul drains into a surface sewer).
• All household goods should be plumbed into the wastewater sewer network, so the water can be taken away and treated. Misconnected pipes from household appliances can allow wastewater to get in to surface water sewers, which are designed to hold rainwater and drain into natural watercourses. Find out more information about misconnections and how to avoid them.