Canal Trust Fights To Save Fish After Pound Pollution
The Trust has been fighting a battle to save the fish living in its water after a pollution incident put their lives at risk. Passers-by alerted us on Sunday, July 22, to some dead fish in Pound 26 on Tamworth Road. The Trust has been keen to stock the pound with fish for both future angling use and for maintaining the water quality.
One of the Trust directors immediately sought advice, which was to pump the water up in a spray to aerate it before falling back in the pound. Chase Plant Hire loaned a pump on Monday morning and Trust volunteers spent five hours on Monday and Tuesday pumping before realising that this was not just lack of oxygen in the water but a serious case of pollution. They called the Environment Agency (EA) on Tuesday which resulted that afternoon in staff from both EA and Severn Trent Water (STW) being on site in force and within two hours.
They were all still working on Wednesday July 25 to identify the nature and source of the pollution, to safeguard the surviving fish and to remedy the cause, and were expected to be on site for several days.
LHCRT chairperson Christine Bull said: “The Trust is most grateful to the concerned walkers who alerted us to the dead fish, and to Chase Plant Hire for free loan of the pump. “The Trust commends the EA and Severn Trent for their immediate and continuing attendance and expert technical work to solve whatever has caused this worrying problem to the Trust and our community. “The pollution originated from the surface water sewer which discharges into the ‘big pipe’ which feeds the canal. “The ‘big pipe’ was installed after the canal was disused and is not LHCRT’s responsibility.
“We understand that STW have located the point at which the pollution entered the surface
water sewer and taken action to halt the pollution.
“We also understand that they are still investigating the origin and cause of the pollution.
“LHCRT has asked for an explanation and assurances that the problem will not reoccur.”
