The Environment Agency is working with Northumbrian Water and other partners to improve water quality in a Northumberland burn - including placing tracers in sewers to try to identify sources of pollution.
The Horton Burn at Cramlington has suffered a number of pollution incidents and the Environment Agency has been working with partners, including Northumbrian Water, to identify the causes and find solutions.
The main impact appears to be the spilling and leaking of oils and chemicals from nearby industrial estates. , The Agency has been delivering pollution prevention leaflets to businesses on the estates and carried out visits to estate landlords to encourage them to educate their tenants on the impact of spillages.
Neil Paisley, from the Environment Agency’s Environmental Management team, said:
“We work with Northumbrian Water to investigate reports of pollution in the burn and try to find the source, which can be difficult as there are 17km of surface water sewer running through the industrial estates.”
“In addition pollution incidents can often be short lived or may have been sitting in the sewer for a number of days.”
Other issues in the burn can be associated with nearby residential areas, which are served by separate foul and surface water systems, and any liquid poured down road drains could ultimately find its way into the burn.
One recent pollution incident is believed to have been caused by a resident pouring a paint-like substance down a surface water drain.
There are also some issues with cross-connections, which is when household appliances like washing machines, dishwashers and sinks are mistakenly connected to the surface water drainage system – which often happens when extensions are built.
Mike Madine, Northumbrian Water’s Sewerage & New Development Manager, said:
“We’re committed to protecting the environment and this initiative will encourage our customers to help us look after the water courses in their local community.”
“We appreciate that wrong connections may have been made many years ago and property owners may not be aware. They could also have happened accidentally or been made in ignorance or by carelessness when extensions or house alterations were built.”
With the UK government demanding a 50% reduction in storm overflow spills by 2029, the era of reactive management is over. Speaking in the House of Commons on 21 July 2025, then environment secretary Steve Reed said, “This Government will cut water companies’ sewage pollution in half by the end of the decade.”
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