Samples taken with River Nadder pollution source still unknown
It's suspected to be vegetable oil - but tests will tell us for certain
Last updated 28th Jun 2024
The source of pollution in the Bemerton section of the River Nadder is still unknown, the Environment Agency has said.
Signs put in place by Salisbury City Council suggest it is vegetable oil, but investigators from the Environment Agency (DEFRA) have returned to the site to collect samples.
DEFRA say they're working with partners to identify where the contamination has come from.
Alice Eley, a freshwater expert with Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, says it will cause a lot of damage to the river's eco-system.
"Oil in the river will have huge negative impacts for wildlife and plants in our chalk streams," she said.
Alice told us that it will reduce the amount of oxygen in the water, as well as coating all the vegetation which will have an effect on the signets and ducklings in the river at the moment.
"It's also going to affect the invertebrate life which hatch out into a flying form to complete their life-cycles, so they wont be able to land on the surface and lay their eggs on the water or on plants," she added.
Alice said it underscores the need for vigilance about what goes down our drains.
"Issues like this really highlight the need to understand how our drains connect to our rivers."
In a statement, Salisbury City Council said:
"We received a report from a member of the public regarding this matter on 20 June.
"An SCC Officer visited the site on 20 June to investigate and they installed a sign informing people to be cautious as there appears to be an unknown substance in the margin of the bank. The Officer then reported this matter to the Environment Agency.
"The EA was chased up Mon 24 June and they have confirmed that this is an active investigation on their system."