Samples taken from the river this week at four sites in the borough, including opposite Lea Bank Square in Hackney Wick and Springfield Park show pollution and run-off of phosphates is rising and water oxygen content falling.
Photo by Loz Flowers
At North Millfields the water oxygen content was the second lowest - less than a third a healthy river would have.
"Scientists working with University College London discovered that the water contained 10,000 E.coli bacteria colonies per 100ml, which is 100 times higher than the maximum level deemed safe for swimming at Blue Flag beaches."
See the full Hackney Gazette article "Pollution levels turning river Lea into a sewage ditch , say charity"
10th October 2011 test results:
The dissolved oxygen level in the river just south of Homerton Road is just 23 per cent – too low to support fish life, according to the findings.
Only the species that can tolerate low levels of oxygen survive, and even then in much lower numbers.
6 mg of oxygen per litre is needed for a river to be considered healthy.
As you can see from the table below it is way below that at many sites.
Anything below 2 mg and no fish will live there for any reasonable period of time.
Site X is just off the Lea, where the sewage outfall from Deephams enters from the Pymmes Brook (more on the Pymmes Brook later, we did a site visit last week and its condition is shocking).
The fear is that the Lea rarely gets above 3 mg/l meaning the river never recovers.
Occasional dips a river can cope with, but this seems the opposite.
from:
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To get involved in the
"Love the Lea" campaign
go to
or email:
pledgelovethelee@thames21.org.uk
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Excess phosphates and pollution in the river Lea
Photo by Loz Flowers
Photo by Matt From London
Photo by diamond geezer
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