Pipes which were connected from toilets to the wrong drainage system have left a river contaminated with toilet waste.
The River Dour has seen raw sewage flowing onto it since March due to the error, which is upstream of Pencester Gardens. One of the local residents spoke to the Dover Express about the problem and claims to have seen an increase in rats along the river bank since the problem started:
Mr Peter Hart said in the Dover Express:
“Two months seems to be a long time for sewage to be flowing into a river, and there really is a risk to health.
“Downstream in Pencester Gardens I often see children in the Dour as it flows through the area. This water has to be contaminated, and warning signs should be put up without delay.”
It has been confirmed that the Environment Agency have now found the source of the leak and are working alongside Southern Water, who have conducted their own investigation to find the source of the problem.
The leak into the river has been blamed on a misconnection, but the source not revealed due to potential prosecution by the Environment Agency.
A spokesperson stated:
“We can’t reveal the location of the source as investigations are still ongoing and there is a chance a prosecution case could be filed, but we can confirm we have found the problem.”