Yorkshire Water has been urged to take motion over uncooked sewage noticed within the River Foss close to York.
The waste was seen by metropolis councillor Tony Fisher throughout the August financial institution vacation weekend at Strensall.
Mr Fisher stated he had beforehand seen condoms, rest room paper and sanitary merchandise within the river, simply seven miles from York metropolis centre.
Yorkshire Water stated the waste was the results of a storm overflow stopping sewage coming into folks’s houses.
Councillor Fisher, who represents the Strensall ward on Metropolis of York Council (CYC), stated he had seen the “disgusting” sewage following a interval of heavy rain.
“We now must see pressing motion from Yorkshire Water to ensure incidents like this don’t occur once more,” he stated.
Councillor Paul Healey, who additionally represents the Strensall ward on the council, added: “Throughout the durations of heavy rain we noticed over the financial institution vacation weekend we noticed that the Victorian mixed sewage system could not deal with the surplus floor water that entered the system and uncooked sewage pumped out.
“This sort of uncooked sewage discharge is an actual hazard to the well being of not solely residents, but in addition the wildlife and fish that may be seen within the Foss.
“Yorkshire Water continues to disregard calls to enhance the sewage community regardless of recording document income final 12 months.”
A Yorkshire Water spokesperson stated: “In periods of heavy rainfall, comparable to these skilled in Strensall over the financial institution vacation weekend, when remedy works and pumping stations are working at full capability, storm overflows act as a aid valve.
“They stop waste water backing up within the community and inflicting sewage escapes in folks’s houses, companies and gardens.
“These are permitted by the Surroundings Company, nonetheless, we all know there’s extra to do to cut back overflows into Yorkshire’s rivers.”
In line with the Native Democracy Reporting Service the spokesperson stated tackling storm overflows was a “precedence” for the utility firm, which they stated was engaged on its “largest ever environmental funding as a part of our 2025-2030 marketing strategy”.
A 2022 Home of Commons Committee report on the state of UK rivers confirmed no rivers in England had been free from chemical contamination, with solely 14% of UK rivers rated as having good ecological standing.
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