Questions over canal pollution at Aylestone Park, Hereford

QUESTIONS remained unanswered as to why a canal in a city park has become polluted, with a “dreadful” smell emanating.

Aylestone Park Association has raised concerns over the “milky” water and white fibrous growths in the former canal on the city park site, which is bordered by industrial land.

The “polluted” water flows onto the Lugg Flats and the River Lugg, and the association is calling for answers and action to be taken, but fears their concerns are falling on deaf ears.

Volunteers are searching for answers to the pollution, which has spread to a nearby wildlife pond. (Image: ROB DAVIES)

The Herefordshire and Gloucestershire Canal Trust‘s Tony Higgins, who dedicates much of his time to restoring the canal, branded the situation “unacceptable”, and fears for the safety of children playing near the water.

“It will take months for it to recover,” said Alastair Gibbs, chairman of the association which runs the park. “It has killed most of the subaquatic wildlife. And that doesn’t come back overnight.”

Mr Gibbs added that although the Environment Agency has visited the site, samples have been taken at times when water was not flowing,

Last year, volunteers created a small wildlife pond, but with a balance pipe flowing from the now “dead” canal, Mr Gibbs fears the murky water, which he thinks could contain sewage, has entered it.

“When that flood came in it with all that filth last week, it topped up into the pond and it’s killed everything in there. It makes you wonder what it’s going to do to the bird life as well.”

A Welsh Water spokesperson said an investigation had found the problem likely originates from a private surface water outfall, which is not a part of the Welsh Water network.