Toxic poison kills fish

“This incident shows how a thoughtless act can have very damaging consequences to wildlife some distance away,” said Robin Harley, Countryside Officer at Christchurch Council after around fifty fish were found dead in Bure Brook, Highcliffe, Christchurch. 

The toxic waste which killed them was poured into a highway drain about one kilometre away from the steam.

Residents first noticed the stream had turned white on Sunday, and reported a ‘creosote-like’ smell to the Environment Agency. They also identified the outfall area, which was close to Smugglers Road North.  The next day dead fish were discovered.

Wessex Water and an environment officer tracked the unpleasant odour to a highway drain about one kilometre away and the Council’s highways team removed the remaining liquid from the road drain and back-washed it to prevent any further discharge to the Bure Brook.

Christchurch Council along with the Environment Agency and Wessex Water have now issued a warning to people about the dangers of putting toxic substances down drains.

Emma Gilson from The Environment Agency said: “Most surface water drains, including land drains and road drains, should carry only uncontaminated rainwater, as they will lead to a local river, stream or soakaway. Therefore no substances should ever be poured down these drains, instead they should be taken to an appropriate waste facility, which in the case of domestic waste will be the local civic amenity site. “

Clare-Marie Dobing from Wessex Water added: “Wessex Water takes incidents of pollution in its sewerage system very seriously and has a team dedicated to identifying unauthorised substances and minimising the impact they have on water courses and livestock. Anyone found to have released such substances into the sewerage system is liable for prosecution.”
 
Investigations are still ongoing as to the substance concerned and test results are awaited.

Any pollution incidents can be reported to The Environment Agency’s 24hr incident hotline on 0800 80 70 60.