Lewes Forum thread

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Ouse polluted

On 22 Jul 2014 at 7:18am Janet Street Preacher wrote:

I see the leading story on the Argus mobile app is about pollution and dead wildlife in the Adur. It seems we may be about to have a similar situation here Lewes in the Ouse.
According to nearby residents the river has been flooding into the contaminated land on the Riverdale development in Timberyard Lane on the old Chandlers land and then leeching back into the river.
The developers have been warned of this by local residents but have not had a response. They are also seeking assurance that the fumes and odour coming from the site is no risk to their health, again no response.
Our elected representative and Environmental Health seem to have done no more than pay lip service to these concerns.
This seems an all too common way to (mis)treat local resident these days.

On 22 Jul 2014 at 7:36am Historian wrote:

Oh no, not another moan about our 3 councils ! Don't bother our MP either !

On 22 Jul 2014 at 8:09am Zzz.. wrote:

The Argus has a mobile app? Well I never.

On 22 Jul 2014 at 8:29am John wrote:

900 fish killed in River Adur East pollution leak

Check it out here »

On 22 Jul 2014 at 3:05pm bastian wrote:

I Don't see how it would have been possible, even on that high tide for the river to flood the old chandlers site, but they are smashing up and pulverising ground based hardcore, which is damped down with a constant spray, but I would be worried if I was a resident in that area-part of that land had the gas works on (The Guiness site certainly did). Years ago no one would have built on contaminated land, my uncles never would have done that, or olf refuse sites.

On 23 Jul 2014 at 12:30pm RT wrote:

Wish I had seen the post by MC above, before my teenage son and his friends went swimming at Barcombe a few days ago. 4 of them along with my son are now vomiting and have diarrhoea. I have contacted the Head of Department for Environmental Health to report this (ian.kedge@lewes.gov.uk) if anyone else finds themselves in this situation. Apparently, now after speaking to few other parents, this is common knowledge!

On 23 Jul 2014 at 3:42pm Janet Street Preacher wrote:

Every time I've swum at Barcombe Mills I've ended up with an earache, sore throat or the squirts.
I just don't swim there any more as it seems there are 38 sewage treatment works feeding into the Ouse and at times of low flow in summer the EA measure that up to be 70% of the total water flowing at the (non-tidal) Barcombe Mills is from the output of SWTs.
Worst still, in June the farmers stick their cows out in the fields bordering the river. They poo in the river and feeder streams. 10% of cow poo contains ecoli 051... which persists in river water and can make you very ill.

On 23 Jul 2014 at 7:43pm In the know wrote:

@ RT , you won't get a response from Mr Kedge as he retired about a month ago , I'm sure someone must be picking up his emails , but if I were you I would try again , try Tim Albright he might be able to help

On 24 Jul 2014 at 8:02am Zebedee wrote:

Something's amiss here.... these posts have been regurgitated from years ago.

However, it is true. 38 Sewage Treatment Works (STW) flow into the Ouse catchment and at times of low flow in summer up to 70% of the water flowing through Barcombe Mills has come from an SWT.

Cow produced eColi 051 is also a big issue.

You wouldn't catch me swimming in the Sussex Ouse, or indeed kayaking on it.