EXCAVATION work at Hereford County Hospital led to pollution at a stream in the city.
Work carried out at the Hereford County Hospital by Centrica, an energy and services company, led to clay sludge being flushed into the Eign Brook, which runs adjacent to the hospital car park.
This happened in mid-August while bore holes were being drilled to install a ground source heat pump on the hospital grounds.
This work caused seepage from deep excavations to run off into a surface drain, as a consequence of an inadequate silt trap.
This resulted in fine silty clay sludge being flushed into the brook, contaminating some 800m of watercourse.
According to Richard Fishbourne, who leads the Hereford Yazor Brooks Restoration Project (HYBRP), this contamination will make life in the bed of the brook impossible, rendering it anaerobic.
He said that comparative fly-life samples taken by us before and after the event show a steep decline in insect life. Consequently this will have knock-on implications for other life.
He said that natural aquatic weed will not be able to grow and that algae is already colonising the sludge.
Mr Fishbourne said they were attempting to get support from Centrica to help in a clear-up operation.
Mr Fishbourne said: "We are all heartbroken by this occurrence which is the worst pollution event I have witnessed on the brook.
"It's a real spit in the face off a group of passionate volunteers supporting HYBRP.
"This event is quite obviously adding to the plight and progressive death of the river Wye."
The matter was reported by HYBRP to the Environment Agency (EA), who investigated the incident.
The EA said: "We can confirm that our officers were called to an issue of sediment entering the Elgin Brook, Hereford on 18 August 2021."
"Centrica have been issued a formal warning letter in this instance. If further discharges are made they are aware that we will take further action.”
A Centrica spokesperson said building work was temporarily suspended in mid-August for three days, following the silt being discharged into the waterway.
They said: "The works needed for the installation of the ground source heat pumps creates harmless silt.
"The majority is taken away from site, but very small amounts entered the car park drains via surface water run-off. A blockage in the drain meant some discharged into the waterway.
"We worked with the Environment Agency to agree revised working practices which will prevent this happening again".
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