WEMBLEY MATTERS News and views on local politics, the environment, climate change, culture and local history
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!)
Barry Gardiner, MP for Brent North, in whose constituency some of the sewage pollution of the Wealdstone Brook, has occurred has taken up the issue with the CEO of Thames Water, Sarah Bentley, and the Environment Agency.
Dear Sarah Bentley
Re: Pollution Event at the Wealdstone Brook
I am concerned that Thames Water claim that the ongoing pollution incident at the Wealdstone Brook is the result of misconnections upstream. You will be aware of the work that your officials have been doing over a number of years with the Brent & Harrow Flooding Working Group which I established with John Timms MBE. Part of this work was to address the problem of misconnections which has blighted the Brook for so long. However, it is clear to us that the current pollution is not the result of domestic or industrial misconnections, but rather of an asset failure on the part of Thames Water. As such it represents a Category 2 Pollution Event and for this reason I am copying Emma Howard Boyd and Sir James Bevan at the Environment Agency to this letter.
In one of your recent speeches you were good enough to refer to my constituent, John Timms, and acknowledged that the company had learned a great deal about the local catchment from the monitoring and graphic representations which he had compiled over almost a quarter of a century. Key to his work is the data on water quality and river levels which can indicate when there is a problem with one or more of your assets such as the Dual Manhole Chambers. It is for this reason that we in the Flooding Working Group have not only insisted on the need for a proper separation programme and the need to track misconnections upstream (which your officers have strenuously resisted on cost grounds), but also on the importance of putting Flow Monitors into the surface water sewer at strategic points.
You will understand that in the Dual Manhole Chambers where an inspection cap is missing from the surface water sewer, it allows the foul water to back up into the surface resulting in precisely the sort of pollution incident that has afflicted the Wealdstone Brook now since February. The same pollution event can arise from a fracture in the surface water chamber which it is Thames Water’s responsibility to maintain. Had you followed the advice of the Flooding Working Group and installed Flow Monitors as suggested, we believe the latest incident could have been instantly identified and remediated. Their lack has meant that Thames Water has not been able to identify the source of pollution and is putting forward what your officials must surely recognise is a highly unlikely claim that it is the result of domestic misconnections.
I am aware that you are seeking to identify the pollution source and work with the riparian Authorities to clear detritus and flush the Brook with clean water to get rid of the toxic smell. I would also ask that you now install the Flow Monitors as requested so that incidents such as this do not keep happening.
Yours sincerely,
Barry Gardiner
Member of Parliament for Brent North
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.
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.
Photograph from the mural bridge in Woodcock Park today., Bank Holiday Monday 2nd May 2022. It shows grey fungus that grows on human sewage.
Guest post by Joy Rickman, Friends of Woostock Park
If the Wealdstone Brook was a patient in a hospital, it would be in The Intensive Care Unit.
It may seem a strange way to describe a river, but it is the truth.
The Wealdstone Brook is indeed a river, it is a tributary of the River Brent which in turn feeds into the River Thames.
For a long time, the Wealdstone brook has endured the depraved behaviour of mankind. All manner of liquids and solids have been thrown, pumped or dumped into its waters creating a toxic liquid landfill.
Silt samples show very minimal life in the Wealdstone Brook.
It should be teeming with tiny invertebrates. These minute creatures and microbes that live in the bed of the river are a fantastic cleaning army. They break down harmful pollutants and chemicals in the water but, THEY ARE NOT THERE.
Their lives have been taken by massive volumes of water eroding away their home in the riverbed.
The brook further downstream - it was smelling badly
Every time land is paved or built on more water is sent into the rivers. Pollutants from tyres and cars cascade into our waterway during heavy rain to add to the existing poisons.
The case for rivers must be made right now! There is no time to waste. Mankind must help to care for and restore the rivers.
The Wealdstone Brook is a beautiful, wonderful, relaxing natural resource which should be healed and cherished.
As a waterway it offers educational opportunities that would benefit over 4000 pupils in local schools.
The Wealdstone Brook should be able to leave intensive care. It should be given the cure of funding and protection and restoration that it deserves, to allow its waters to teem with life again
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.
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 5th 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 12th and 25th 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.
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.
The resident whose request to Brent Council to designate the Wealdstone Brook sewage contamination a 'major incident' was refused, has responded asking for residents and schools in the area to be notified of the public health danger:
Dear Mr Lunt
Thank you for your quick response to my email of the 19th April requesting that the Leader of Brent Council and the Chief Executive of Brent Council declare a ‘Major Incident’ with regards to the severe and dangerous pollution of the Wealdstone Brook and its impact on the health, safety and well being of Brent residents in the Kenton area around the Brook.
I am disappointed at your response. However, could I ask that the various medical surgeries around the Kenton area and the A&E Department at Northwick Park Hospital are asked by the Brent and Harrow Health Authorities to monitor patients who come to them with Covid-19 symptoms but test negative for Covid-19 and check whether they have been near the Wealdstone Brook or indeed have had some of the water from the Brook touch their skin or have actually ingested it. We are warning as many youngsters as we see in Woodcock Park not to go near the water in the Wealdstone Brook but again a notification from Brent Council to the schools in the area – particularly Claremont High School Academy, St.Gregory’s High School and Uxendon Manor Primary School – warning them about the dangerous and toxic nature of the water in the Brook would be helpful – particularly if the situation continues into the school holidays.
I have now been informed that Thames Water is intending to flush the Brook on numerous occasions throughout the summer months in order to attempt to reduce the very serious situation whilst they attempt to locate and deal with the source(s) of the pollution
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:
Alan Lunt, Strategic Director of Regeneration and Environment at Brent Council has responded to a local resident who had asked for the sewage contamination of the Wealdstone Brook to be declared a major incident:
Thank you for your email regarding sewage contamination of Wealdstone Brook.
It is important to the council that the appropriate procedures are utilised in this case in order to bring about a swift and successful resolution.
London Emergency Services Liaison Panel (LESLP) defines a major incident as; ‘An event or situation with a range of serious consequences which requires special arrangements to be implemented by one or more emergency responder agency’.
It is usually only the most serious incidents with very significant and immediate consequences that justify classification as a major incident. Recently declared major incidents in London include the rapid spread of the Omicron variant in December 2021, the impacts of Storm Eunice during February 2022 and the chlorine gas escape at Olympic Park during March 2022. While I accept that continuous and long term release of raw sewage into a water course will have ecological impacts if not resolved, a short term odour, however unpleasant, would not normally constitute grounds to declare a major incident.
In this case, Thames Water (from whose equipment the sewage emanates) is aware of the issue and actively seeking to rectify the matter. The Environment Agency are also aware and the council is maintaining contact with both organisations. Therefore, the relevant agencies are already involved and declaration of a major incident would not result in any additional action or activity by other emergency responders.
Please let me reassure you that the council will continue to monitor the situation and work with other agencies to resolve this highly distressing matter as soon as is possible. I hope that my email clarifies the rationale for our decision that it is not appropriate to declare a major incident in the current circumstances.
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.
