The misconnected pipes polluting urban rivers

The misconnected pipes polluting urban rivers1 day agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleHarrison GallivenLocal Democracy Reporting ServiceGetty ImagesHidden plumbing errors are sending untreated household sewage into rivers, polluting waterways without residents' knowledge. One south-west London river has been badly affected by these misconnections.A misconnection happens when wastewater is incorrectly diverted into surface drains, leading to pollution in nearby waterways.Pollutants may include raw sewage, chemicals and physical debris which are harmful to wildlife and lead to further degradation of river ecosystems, according to Dr Isobel Ollard from the South East Rivers Trust (SERT).The Wandle, a 12-mile (19km) chalk stream running from Carshalton to the Thames at Wandsworth, is one place where these contaminants are being found. Facundo ArrizabalagaDr Isobel Ollard, a catchment officer at the South East Rivers Trust (SERT)Ollard said misconnections like these bypass the treatment normally carried out at sewage treatment works.An example of this kind of pollution was recently found at Watermeads Nature Reserve (which connects to the Wandle) where a cloudy, milky-looking water was seen trickling from a concrete outlet into the river.Containment booms installed by Thames Water caught some of the discharge, preventing some of the substance from spreading further downstream, but the water remains contaminated. Ollard explained the pale colour of the discharge indicated had likely come from a washing machine in a nearby property that had been incorrectly connected to the water network, allowing wastewater and detergents to enter the river.Chalk rivers like the Wandle are rare and fragile ecosystems supporting diverse wildlife, with only around 200 worldwide, making them particularly vulnerable to pollution.An unknown issueAccording to Ollard, misconnections are particularly difficult to deal with because identifying the source of the problem - and who is respons...