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The Environment Agency has confirmed that chemicals from firewater runoff entered Brislington Brook after a fire at a nearby industrial estate on 1 September, in the same stretch of water where eels were later found dead. The confirmation follows an investigation into what happened after the fire, and how the water used to fight it reached the brook.
Firewater is the water used by firefighters to put out a blaze, and it can pick up chemicals from the burning materials and from the site itself as it runs off. If that water reaches a river or brook, it can harm fish and other wildlife, even when the fire itself is some distance from the water. In this case, the agency said the runoff had entered the brook and was linked to the deaths of eels found there.
Eels are a protected species in the UK, and their numbers have fallen sharply over recent decades, so any loss is taken seriously by conservationists. The eels found in Brislington Brook were a sign that something had gone wrong in the water, and the agency's investigation was aimed at finding out exactly what had entered the brook and where it had come from. The findings will help decide what action, if any, needs to be taken next.
The Environment Agency said it was continuing to monitor the brook and to work with the site owner and the fire service to understand how the runoff reached the water. It said lessons needed to be learned about how firewater is contained at industrial sites, so that a fire in one place does not lead to damage in a nearby river or brook. Businesses are expected to have plans in place to stop polluted water from escaping their sites.
Local people who use the brook and the paths beside it have been urged to report any further signs of dead fish or discoloured water to the Environment Agency. The agency said it would keep the brook under observation and would take further action if the water quality did not improve. For the wildlife that depends on the brook, the hope is that the water recovers and that the eels and other species return.
Source: UK Prepper Hub
