Warning after 110 fish found dead in Isle of Man river - BBC News

2022-06-25 10:58:12 By : Mr. Andy Yang

People are being urged not to pour chemicals down domestic sinks or drains after 110 fish were found dead in a river in the east of the Isle of Man.

The brown trout were discovered in Groudle Glen during the TT festival.

While the source of the issue is not known, it is believed to be a chemical rather than sewage-based pollutant.

Environmental protection officer Danielle Coombes said the origin had been narrowed down to an area of residential housing nearby.

Ms Coombes said officers had "educated those residents on what to look out for" and "what to report if they have any concerns".

Water samples collected from the river did not return "any definitive results" and officers were continuing to monitor the area, she added.

Teams from the Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture and Manx Utilities (MU) were called out the incident.

Head of sewerage at MU Tim Woakes said small quantities of domestic cleaning products, which were highly diluted with water, "won't cause an issue".

However, larger volumes of substances such as bleach used for cleaning items including outdoor hot tubs would be harmful, he continued.

"We just need people to be responsible really and think about what they're doing before they take action," he added.

Mr Woakes explained that MU teams cleared about 200 blockages from the sewer network each year, the majority of which were caused by "the misuse of people's toilets and sinks".

"The main culprits are wet wipes down the toilets and oil and fats in kitchen sinks," he said.

"Each of these blockages not only costs a significant amount of money to clear, but it also hugely increases the risk of sewage spilling into streams and rivers and damaging our environment."

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Isle of Man Government - Environmental Protection Unit

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