'Disgusting filth': Bacteria with significant risk to human health found in flood waters
New lab tests show flood water across the country poses a significant risk to human health
Flood water from floods near a number of UK rivers found to contain high levels of bacteria as extreme weather continues after last year’s record high temperature and severe wet weather
Water samples taken from floods by a Surrey housing estate close to the River Mole, on a street near the River Ouse in York and in a Shrewsbury park near the River Severn have all been found to have elements potentially harmful to human health such as E.coli and faecal matter, according to lab analysis from Oakshire Environmental commissioned by Round Our Way, is a not-for-profit supporting people impacted by climate change in the UK, published today. Extreme weather in the wake of Storm Isha and Jocelyn continues to put many parts of the country at risk of severe flooding, as the UK experiences ongoing and increased extreme weather.
Last year, the UK experienced record-high temperatures and severe wet weather, with the Met Office stating that 2023 was the second warmest year on record and that the UK saw 11% more rain than average. Researchers at Bristol University recently estimated that in the UK, with every degree of regional warming, the intensity of extreme downpours can increase up to 15%. The most recent IPCC report also shows that the number of river floods in the UK, and across Europe, has increased in recent years, with the last three decades experiencing the highest number of floods in the last 500 years.
The test results from the flood water samples taken from a playing field with a kids playground in Shrewsbury, next to a public path near a housing estate close to the River Mole in Horley, Surrey, and a residential street near a pub in York, shows:
The samples of flood water from a residential street near the River Ouse in York and a playing field with a kids playground near the River Severn in Shrewsbury contain elevated levels of ammonia and bacteria including faecal indicator organism concentrations, while the sample from near the housing estate in Horley, Surrey contains very high concentrations.
The sample from a residential street near the River Ouse in York was also found to contain high levels of E.coli, which alongside the ammonia and other bacteria, makes the sampled water considered ‘Poor’, according to Environment Agency bathing water standards, suggesting a potential risk to human health. ‘Poor’ under bathing water standards means that the levels of E.coli and Intestinal enterococci bacteria are found to be above the level classified as ‘sufficient’ (EC: ≤900 cfu/100ml ; IE: ≤330 cfu/100ml).
The sample taken from near a housing estate close to the River Mole in Surrey was found to contain very high levels of E.coli, which alongside the ammonia and other bacteria, is considered to present a risk to human health, aquatic life and the quality of receiving waters, such as nearby streams and rivers. The identified contamination suggests that sampled water has been impacted by sewage from nearby flood-hit sewage works.
Roger Harding, Director of Round Our Way, a not-for-profit supporting people impacted by climate change in the UK, said:
“All of us want to feel safe at home and know kids are fine if they go out to play, but these results show the disgusting filth and germs people have been exposed to in recent floods. The weather climate change brings sadly means the UK is flooding more and more, which is leaving people exposed not just to property damage but also getting really ill.
“It shouldn’t need saying, but people should not have to put up with crap flowing into their streets and parks. We urgently need to see politicians better-protecting people from floods and the climate change that is making them more likely.”
Round Our Way works with people who have been directly affected by climate impacts in the UK. Below are a selection of people we have spoken to who have been directly impacted by recent flooding in the UK.
Neil Youngman,a firefighter for 25 years, based in Market Harborough in Leicestershire, a service the Fire Brigades Union says was likely the most overstretched in England during flooding in recent weeks, said:
“Floods are a huge burden. There is a huge amount of moral pressure from the public, but it is very difficult because of the lack of funding. A fire is a tragedy and we are very sympathetic, but people do not give floods enough mind.
“It is not at all uncommon to become poorly with stomach upsets. There is some pretty nasty stuff in floodwater. When I see kids on television jumping around in it, I’m saying: get out!”
“Ideally all crew would be fully trained in flood rescue work. Fund us, resource us. There are such massive expectations.”
Dr Gillian Orrow, a GP in Horley and co-founder of Growing Health Together, an East Surrey initiative helping the NHS collaborate with local communities to prevent disease and improve health, said:
"Contact with contaminated flood water can lead to skin and gut infections. For example, E. coli bacteria are found in the intestines of healthy people. But if we ingest even small amounts of certain strains of E. coli, it can cause diarrhoea and vomiting. So for example, there could be the situation of a football floating in polluted floodwater which a child fishes out, before going home and eating a sandwich. They could potentially become ill if they have not washed their hands thoroughly."
Contact
Sofie Jenkinson, sofie@roundourway.org
Please use the following links to see the full test results for each area:
Shrewsbury / York / Horley