The Sirhowy River in Blackwood has been “cloudy” for a month, according to locals who are concerned this could be the result of pollution.
The murky water in the Woodfieldside area of Blackwood (Image: NQ) Speaking about the murky water, Blackwood Independent councillor Nigel Dix said:
“It’s been there for over a month now and I believe it’s starting just below Bridge Street and flowing downstream.
“It’s very cloudy, we don’t want a polluted river in our area.”
Councillor Nigel Dix who is concerned about potential pollution (Image: NQ) The river runs alongside Woodfieldside Playground, where the discoloured water is most visible.
This area is a popular spot for dog walkers, rugby enthusiasts, and young families and is home to Welsh Water networks, including storm drains and sewage pipes.
Most days residents report a strong smell of sewage in the area and claim that the existing sewage system is unable to cope with the town’s growing number of homes.
A pipe connecting the Welsh Water network to the Sirhowy River (Image: NQ) Mr Dix explained: “The amount of new housing we’ve had built, and it’s not been updated is a problem. You can smell it on the bad days when you come along.
“If you’re putting more water and sewage into an existing sewage system and it’s not built for it what happens then when we get heavy rain is it enters in the storm water system, this system can’t cope, and it overflows into the river.”
Woodfieldside playground Blackwood where ‘sewage’ smell is pungent in the area (Image: NQ) Welsh Water deny they are the cause of the discolouration.
A spokesperson for Welsh Water said: “NRW notified us of a report of discolouration in the Sirhowy River in Blackwood.
“A crew attended and investigated our network in the area, which was all operating as it should be, and they found no evidence that our assets were the source of the discolouration.
“This has been reported back to NRW.”
Manhole covers in Woodfieldside Blackwood as part of the Welsh Water network (Image: NQ) Concern for wildlife has also been raised.
Mr Dix told the Argus: “I walk past the river every day and there’s quite a lot of wildlife. Otters, king fishers, heron, lots of water birds but when the pollution’s up you don’t see them and it’s disappointing.”
Historically, the town’s mining history could also be impacting the river colour.
Mr Dix said: “This valley had a lot of mine work activity and Welsh Water did say it could be coming from the mines, but we need to pin down where it is coming from.”
Manhole covers in Woodfieldside Blackwood as part of the Welsh Water network (Image: NQ) Natural Resources Wales is looking into the matter and have urged residents to report any new cases of discolouration.
A spokesperson for Natural Resources Wales said: “Following receiving a report of discolouration of the watercourse in Blackwood, we notified Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and they immediately inspected their assets and confirmed they were not the cause of the pollution.
“Whilst our investigations will continue, tracing the source will be challenging as the watercourse is now running clear.
“We encourage members of the public to continue reporting any further issues to our 24/7 incident communications centre via our online report it form, or by calling 0300 065 3000.”