Sewage risk to children — claim

CHILDREN could be at risk from playing in a river that’s polluted with sewage, Chadderton residents have been warned.

The Chronicle reported last week how foul sludge was being discharged into the River Irk at Mills Hill, turning the once pristine river into a filthy mess.

But a former Oldham Council employee, who lives near by, claims the problem is not being caused by the Royton wastewater treatment works as suspected.

John Mellor, who retired as the council’s building services manager 15 years ago, says the real source of the pollution is Plumpton Clough brook.

And he has warned that it has been an ongoing problem for years and is a health hazard for children playing in the river as it passes through Chadderton Hall Park.

Farmer Ben Lancaster complained last week about the river being filthy for the past six weeks, full of toilet paper and sanitary towels as it passes his land near Mills Hill Station.

But Mr Mellor said: “It’s been bad for years. It’s foul sewage and stinks. It’s a danger to health.

“It goes through Chadderton Hall Park and the youngsters in the summer play in the stream. It’s really quite polluted. There are no new plants growing in the river running through the park, it’s dead.”

He added: “What comes from the sewage works is fairly clean, it has to be by law.”

Plumpton Clough is a culvert that runs from the back of Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park ground and discharges into the river near the A627.

Mr Mellor suspects a builder who should have put the effluent into a sewer has connected it to an overflow instead. He says officials have been out to inspect — but have been left scratching their heads.

“Finding exactly where it comes from is no easy task,” he said. “You can smell it through the park, especially when the flow is low. It really does pong. It’s very unsatisfactory.”

An Environment Agency spokeswoman said the agency had been working with United Utilities to trace the pollution upstream at Plumpton Clough where it joins the River Irk.

She said they had managed to stop the pollution but had not yet found the source.

Ecological surveys are taking place to see what effect it is having on the brook and what steps to take next.