Beaver plan 'will not be affected by sewage issue'

"Sewage misconnections from nearby homes are resulting in waste being flushed directly into the Chaffinch Brook instead of going into sewers and via treatment works. The south London council recently unveiled rewilding proposals for the site, including plans to release beavers into the park's lake. The untreated sewage has been discharging into the stream for years. The council said it was working to ensure the environment was safe and the polluted watercourse was not connected to the lake the beavers could inhabit."

"The contamination was first identified in mid-2024, when a Thames Water survey of 474 South Norwood properties found 16 on Cargreen Road discharging sewage into the nearby stream, including a block of eight social housing flats managed by Hyde Housing. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said a further investigation revealed that the original developer of the polluting properties, now in administration, had incorrectly connected them to a surface water drain instead of the foul sewer, allowing untreated sewage to flow directly into Chaffinch Brook."

Sewage misconnections from nearby homes are discharging untreated waste into Chaffinch Brook, which runs through South Norwood Country Park. Croydon Council plans to introduce Eurasian beavers to the park's lake and will ensure the polluted watercourse is not connected to their habitat. A Thames Water survey in mid-2024 found 16 misconnected properties on Cargreen Road; 14 issues have been fixed and two remain, one privately owned. The misconnections include eight social housing flats managed by Hyde Housing. The original developer connected properties to a surface water drain instead of the foul sewer, allowing ongoing pollution. Thames Water called the homes the most significant impact on local water quality.

Read at www.bbc.com