Many residents reported Rivelin’s brown water on Sunday
The Rivelin River has been polluted(Image: John Fereday)
A historic Sheffield river turned brown on Sunday as concerns have been raised about the health of Yorkshire’s rivers.
It comes after a burst water main caused many people in Sheffield to lose water supply last week, as Yorkshire Water faces scrutiny for a rising number of pollution incidents and offshore bonus payment to CEO Nicola Shaw.
Many residents reported Rivelin’s brown water on Sunday. The Environment Agency is investigating the possible pollution incident, while the impact on wildlife and the ecosystem in the valley is not yet known. “I am concerned for the health of the river and if it does turn out to be pollution, then something has gone wrong,” Christine King, who has walked along Rivelin valley for decades, told YorkshireLive .
“I have never seen it like this. I was shocked. In over 20-odd years, I have never seen it that colour, even when we have a lot of rainfall,” Siobahn O’Malley added. Several people suggested silt has caused the discolouration. The Environment Agency is investigating the cause of the pollution and the impact it has had on the water quality and surrounding environment.
Siobahn suggested that the photos suggest there is “more than just silt” in the water. “There is likely sewage and chemicals,” she added. Meanwhile, Christine suggested it could also be more than silt, but warned that even if it is just silt, the pure volume means it will have a negative impact on the local ecology.
The pollution his discoloured a lot of the precious river(Image: Christine King)
“Hours and hours of silt pouring down the river, that amount will have an effect on the ecological system,” she said. “It’s a major pollution incident because it’s not just silt that’s coming down. The river is a finely balanced ecosystem, and it shouldn’t have this amount of silt going down it.”
Silt entering the water system is extremely damaging for riverflies as it smothers the riverbed. Riverflies are an important food source for fish and birds. Rivelin is the only river in Sheffield classed as ecologically “good”, which means it can sustain more wildlife than any other river in the city. With such volumes of silt and other substances entering the ecosystem, that will now come under threat.
Siobhan explained: “There’s a lot of wildlife on that riverside. I am concerned for the wildlife, particularly the kingfishers and dippers. They could die if they are eating insects that have consumed chemicals. There are a lot wildflowers, trees and fungi that rely on the river. It is a fantastic ecological profile.”
Christine described Rivelin as a “finely balanced” ecosystem. Such a massive flow of silt could throw off that balance and hugely impact the wildlife it currently sustains. “I am angry about something having gone wrong that affects the river,” she added. “I am angry and concerned. I am not saying that anyone should be fired, but how has this happened, and has been going on for so long.”
The incident follows a series of high profile water leaks in Sheffield, including a burst water main in the city centre last week that saw many residents left without any water. It comes as reservoir levels are historically low and a hosepipe ban has been in place since mid-July.
A huge amount of wildlife depend on Rivelin’s ecological system(Image: John Fereday)
Meanwhile, Environment Agency figures show Yorkshire Water released raw sewage into its water networks nearly 70,000 times in 2024, accounting for more than 400,000 hours. Ms Shaw was not granted a bonus due to the damage caused to Yorkshire’s water network.
YorkshireLive has contacted Yorkshire Water and Sheffield City Council for comment.
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