Thousands of fish killed by Swindon sewage leak
The pipe break has caused major pollution to local waterways
Last updated 22nd Aug 2022
It's been revealed that a sewage leak in North Swindon has killed thousands of fish.
Over the weekend, a sewage pipe broke near the Haydon End Sewage Pumping Station, polluting the River Ray, Haydon Wick Brook and nearby River Thames.
The cause of the incident hasn't yet been confirmed, but investigations from the Environment Agency (EA) are ongoing.
An EA spokesperson said: "Our surveys show that the pollution has spread over 7km of watercourses.
"We have used aerating equipment to help reoxygenate the water, to limit further damage to the local environment.
“We thank the local community for reporting this incident to us so that we could take action. Our officers remain onsite".
'The pollution has spread over 7km of watercourses'
Thames Water says staff have moved more than 200 tonnes of earth during their repairs at the site, uncovering "significant damage" to the sewer. The provider expects to have finished fixing the pipe by Tuesday evening.
"It will take at least a week to get the site back to normal once our repairs are done. This will cause some noise and traffic disruption next to the burst and we apologise for any noise and extra traffic around our works," Thames Water added.