The Government is committed to improving the quality of bathing water at designated sites around the country, as an important contributor to many people’s mental and physical health. However, as these two sites are not designated bathing waters they are not covered by the Bathing Water Regulations 2013. This means that the Environment Agency does not monitor for intestinal enterococci and E. coli, the bacteria used to assess bathing water quality.

They Environment Agency manages rivers and other open water locations that are not designated as bathing waters for the purpose of protecting fish and wildlife, rather than people, so health risks from using these locations may be higher than at designated bathing waters. Anyone can become unwell when swimming in open waters. UK Health Security Agency and the Environment Agency offer advice in the ‘swim healthy’ guidance, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/swim-healthy-leaflet/swim-healthy.

More information on designated bathing waters can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/bathing-waters-list-of-designated-waters-in-england.

The Environment Agency also publishes the water quality data that they hold. This information can be accessed via the following link: Open WIMS data.

Bathing waters are designated through an application process and Defra welcomes applications for designation for both coastal and inland waters such as rivers. Local authorities, groups and individuals can apply for sites to be designated. Defra encourages this by writing to the Chief Executive of every local authority in England and other key stakeholders such as swimming associations. It is these local authorities and stakeholders who will best know which popular bathing areas may be suitable for designation.

For further information, please visit our web page on gov.uk: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/bathing-waters-apply-for-designation-or-de-designation

I refer the hon. Member to the replies previously given on 6 March 2018, PQs 129872, 129873, 129874 and 129875. Whilst it is not possible to prevent all oil spills into the river, in this incident, the Environment Agency have traced the waste oil to a potential polluter, details of which cannot currently be released due to the ongoing investigation. In previous incidents where oil pollution was not traced to a particular source, the Environment Agency carried out pollution prevention visits at industrial premises which drain to the Pymmes Brook.

I have already replied to the right hon. Gentleman about this point through answers to written questions. The Environment Agency has traced the waste oil to a potential polluter, but I cannot give further details due to the ongoing investigation. I assure him that the Environment Agency carries out pollution prevention visits at industrial premises along that area and, of course, we are still working to clean it up.

I draw the Minister’s attention to the very serious oil spill stretching from Pymmes brook in my constituency right down the River Lea to the Olympic Park. This has happened for the second time in two years. Is it not time for the Environment Agency, the Canal & River Trust, the local authorities and Thames Water to get together, once they have cleaned up the spill, to see what they can do to prevent such spills?

The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.

Public Health England has provided advice as follows:

Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.

Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.

The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.

The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.

Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.

Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.

The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.

In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.

In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.

The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.

The Environment Agency (EA) was first notified of the pollution at Tottenham Locks at 11:20 on Sunday 11 February 2018. Within 2 hours of receiving the first call the EA had deployed field teams to investigate and within 3 hours it had also notified the Canal and River Trust and the Swan Sanctuary. The decision to notify was based upon visual inspection of the river and the growing number of reports received relating to concerns for wildlife, primarily swans and ducks.

Public Health England has provided advice as follows:

Health effects are likely to be minimal given the open environment. Members of the public may report an unpleasant smell but again this does not necessarily indicate that there is any health effect associated with the smell: for many volatile chemicals, they can be detected by smell at levels below which they cause health effects. However, any members of the public who do report feeling unwell should seek health care/advice from their GP, NHS 111 or A&E.

Notices should be put up in the affected areas warning the public to avoid contact with the water especially dog walkers (whose dogs should be kept on the lead), anglers, canoeists or others performing water sports. The water should not be drunk, bathed in or used for washing or cooking.

The incident has had a significant, localised effect on water quality, impacted on the quality and use of the river and caused minor damage to nature conservation.

The EA, along with its contractors Adler and Allan, has been working to remove oil from the River Lea Navigation since 12 February 2018. The EA is also being assisted with clean-up efforts by the Canal and River Trust and volunteers at various locations between Stonebridge Locks and Old Ford Locks.

Thames Water Utilities Limited, which owns the surface water sewer and outfall from which the oil entered the Pymmes Brook at Tottenham Marshes, has also contracted Adler and Allan to flush through the drainage system and tanker off any residual oil still present at the outfall and within the infrastructure.

Once the works have been completed at the outfall there should be no further oil from this particular incident. The EA expects that the effects of the pollution on the watercourse will be cleared by 9 March, dependant on factors such as weather conditions for moving specialised equipment.

The EA records, assesses and responds to pollution incidents that are reported to it. Where there are repeated oil pollution incidents in a particular location, the EA works with partners to investigate and take the required steps to advise businesses and householders on the actions they need to take to stop the pollution and prevent recurrence. If enforcement action is required the EA can serve enforcement notices to require actions to be taken, and for the most serious incidents it can prosecute offenders.

In November 2017 EA and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure effective co-operation between them in dealing with pollution incidents, including oil spills, in or affecting CRT’s waterway network. The EA will continue to lead on the more serious category 1 and category 2 pollution incidents affecting CRT waterways, while CRT will lead on the less serious category 3 and 4 incidents. The CRT and EA will work together on incident response, cost recovery, and on local contacts and working together arrangements.

In a typical recent year (2016) the EA recorded 310 water pollution incidents in canals and inland waterways, of which 25 were categorised as serious. Typically around 25% of water pollution incidents reported to the EA involve oil as a pollutant.

The EA and CRT have the capacity to deal with incidents on a risk basis. New approaches, such as the MoU, enable them to be even more effective by pooling resources. Where a large oil spill affects a waterbody the EA can call in extra resources such as specialist contractors to carry out clean-up work. Where the polluter is identified the EA can recover the costs of the clean up under section 161 of the Water Resources Act.

The Environment Agency attended the site on the morning of 5 April and worked with Thames Water Utilities (TWU) Ltd to trace the source, identifying it as a ruptured diesel oil tank.

The Environment Agency is working alongside contractors and the Canal and River Trust (CRT) to clear up the oil. Absorbent booms are in place to contain the spread of the oil. Any residual patches of oil not trapped by the booms are being mopped up by absorbent pads. The Environment Agency attended the site on 11 April and will continue to oversee the clean-up operation.

The Environment Agency is continuing investigations with a view to possible enforcement action.