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Warning to keep out of city’s ‘toxic’ docks
Splash: Jet skis were at last year's Riversway Festival
Environmental experts today warned people to stay away from Preston’s dock as a toxic algae continues to spread.
But organisers of the annual Riversway Festival, which sees members of the public rowing dragon boats in the dock, today insisted it will not be affected.
For years blue-green algae, which can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, rashes and fevers, has been growing from the 13ft deep silt which has collected on the bottom of the docks.
Preston Coun Bhihku Patel, who represents the Riversway ward, claimed the problem is coming to a head.
He said: “My concern is that the problem is going to get worse and if the hot weather continues we could start having gas coming out the water.
“I am asking the council’s environment scrutiny panel to further investigate this problem and consider various options and take urgent action. I do not think a lot of people realise how bad the problem is.
“I do not want the council sitting on it and doing nothing, that is not an option now.
“I think that if somebody accidentally fell in they could either drown or suffer serious medical conditions with the poison in there.”
Today the Environment Agency warned nobody should enter the water.
A spokesman, said: “With people it causes rashes, vomiting, fevers and diarrhoea. It is not advisable for anybody to go into the water.
“The most significant problem is you cannot see what’s below the water surface.”
But Ken Hudson, leader of Preston City Council, said the Riversway festival, which will take place on the weekend of July 24 and 25, will go ahead as planned.
He said: “What we will do in the dock is when there is a sufficiently high tide we will flush the dock out and clean the water.
“(For the festival) we provide showers so that people can clean themselves off.
“We take all precautions. We doing quite a bit of work with a European consortium to look at how the algae can be eradicated.”
The silt, which contains nitrates and phosphates, has built up since the dock closed in the 1980s because the gates are rarely opened, meaning the water is not refreshed.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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Comments
There are 12 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
pnestar
Monday, June 21, 2010 at 03:02 PM@ Fishwick Fishwick you inbred: The correct name is BP America. Before that it was called BP Amoco. A long time ago it was actually called British Petroleum, but Obama hasn't got the news yet, and is only about 20 years out of date.
Tinhat
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 08:18 PMWhy doesnt the festival do what other events have done and not come to Preston at all(At least until the algae is sorted). This event could go to Southport where the air and water is cleaner and there will be no issues of health to the partakers. Also, for those that fancy a break can wonder round the shops that are on the doorstep, not like Preston, when you are on the docks you are marooned, unless you can call Morrisons a quality shop. These docks need opening up on a regular basis, to allow new water in and to dilute the algae cells. If you leave a tropical fish tank without regular water changes, algae will form and will do so until fresh water and treatment is applied. Now that the airwater temperatures are rising, the algae will multipy even more until your are left with a thick green soup. When we was moving the Manxman from the dock years ago, I noticed an unpleasant smell, and green algae then, so how long ago was that.
beast155
Tuesday, June 15, 2010 at 05:32 PMdont like doing this but fishwick what has bp got to do with the uk. NOTHING it does not represent the uk and half of the shareholders and the chairman are residents of the usa. the usa is at fault here allowing extremley weak regulation of oil companies drilling of THEIR coast. the yanks want cheap oil result is a industry that is only in words regulated. its the yanks fault THEIR beaches are polluted along with the global company BP. and at the end of the day what goes around comes around the good old usa has been polluting far more than any other country for decades and when any country tries to take them to task on this THEIR govt along with the majority of the population express a veiw that outsiders are trying to destroy THEIR way of life. like i said what goes around comes around! as someone said UNION CARBIDE. people in glass houses should shut up and sort THEIR own garden FIRST!!!!!!!
AdoptedByPreston
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 11:12 PMFishwick - Union Carbide Hopefully BP will stay true to it's word and clear this up, more than UC ever did.
Fishwick
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 10:54 PMYou're worried about a bit of toxic algae ? Imagine how the gulf coast feel with your BRITISH Petroleum oil spill, and BP unable to stop the flow....Thanks Britain. Take a look... http:www.latimes.comnewsnationworldnationla-na-oil-spill-html,0,6610369.htmlstory
Diesel10
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 07:38 PMThey need to get this sorted asap, sounds obsolutely revolting. How could they let it go on for so long - what a bunch of weirdos.
Fat Lad
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 02:27 PMReproduced below in full - my e-mail to the Council re this very matter only 10 days ago, followed by the reply received from the "Riversway Manager". As you can see, a load of technobabble which basically means they've paid a fortune to consultants, sat round a desk & waffled about it - and done nothing! They're waiting for someone to fund the work. -----Original Message----- From: **************************************** Sent: Thursday, June 03, 2010 9:47 AM To: Info Mailbox Subject: BlueGreen Algae Dear Sir, Could you update me on what, if anything, is happening wrt the BlueGreen Algae in the DocksMarina? This is now a thin pea soup with thick green scum on top & absolutely stinks! Signs around the dock say is is "temporary" - but to my certain knowledge it's been there (& getting worse) for the seven years I've lived nearby. I received & returned a survey some years ago but nothing came of it. I recall Preston City Council repeatedly saying they want to attract investment, development etc to the Marina and to encourage water sports! Despite the events of the Riversway Festival of recent years, anyone getting into that water now will need antibiotics & a stomach pump! I'm sure there are ways it can be cleaned up - aeration, or the regular opening of the sea locks & flushing the docks on the high tide for example. Why anyone would choose to actually reside on a boat there beggars belief - as does the fact they must pay to moor their boats there. Regards, *********** Maritime Way Preston Mr *****, Thank you for your enquiry about Preston Docks. The algal problem at Preston Docks was the subject of an in-depth study by Atkins Consulting on behalf of the Environment Agency in 20056. The work was part-funded by EU grant aid as part of the "Improving Coastal and Recreational Waters" (ICREW) INTERREG IIIB Atlantic Area project. Pilot Action 7 of the project focused on "Understanding and Managing Algae" and the UK arm of the PA7 team investigated the prolific growth of cyanobacteria in Preston Dock. The stated objective of PA7 was to "Develop sustainable options for the removal of algae, fungi and bacteria which will result in the optimum use of a recreational opportunity and assist for planning for development". The target actions generated the following site-specific study methodology for Preston Dock: i) A desk study review of existing data relating to Preston Dock and the Ribble Estuary ii) Sampling and analysis of the water and sediment within the dock iii) Construction of a conceptual mathematical model of the dock, capable of predicting fluctuations in algal biomass iv) Algal management options appraisal utilising the dock model v) Design of an integrated management strategy capable of reducing and maintaining acceptable populations of cyanobacteria within a balanced dock ecosystem Algal management options for the dock were seen to be capable of being placed into three main categories: 'Water Supply', 'Sediments' and 'Dock Management' and options featuring these aspects, or a combination thereof, were developed. The study indicates that an overwhelming influence upon the proliferation of algal bloom in the dock is the influx of phosphate bearing estuarial silts during the impounding of river. Exchange and flushing of waters with the river has been suggested and tried in the past. Unfortunately the impounding of river water laden with the phosphates contained naturally and in storm sewage discharges and run-off from agricultural land, and upon which the algae thrives, has only a brief cosmetic benefit. In warm, sunny, weather the fresh nutrient load provokes a greater level of algal activity within very few days. Unfortunately, impounding water is a necessary part of the operation of the dock. We now incorporate what has been learned from ICREW in our water management regime to minimise algal activity. The £114m investment to improve river water quality currently underway by United Utilities in the south west area of Preston will also benefit water quality in the dock. Whilst active intervention and control measures such as phosphate stripping, sediment encapsulation, forced mixing and aeration, etc were considered. The project model found however, that a combination of measures active in each of the three categories mentioned earlier will have greatest beneficial effect. The City Council is seeking funding opportunities to permit adoption of one of the recommended combined solutions. Such solutions are likely to tie with the redevelopment potential and opportunities necessary to generate funding on the scale required. Yours sincerely, Ian B Smith Riversway Manager Tel: 01772 726711 Fax: 01772 722454 email: i.b.smith@preston.gov.uk
TangoCharlie
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 01:46 PMleave the dock gates open each high tide will clean the docks out
Grasshopper38
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 01:41 PMCompletely agree with Minnow. I too had said to friends that whilst the 'tunnel digger' was local surely it could be easily used to form a flush between the dock and the river. The dock is a hugely underused resource. Proper investment in sorting the problem will be quickly recovered. All these hair brained schemes about floating stages and walkways can never go ahead until the water problem is sorted - but I'm not holding my breath........... BUT I do frequently have to hold my nose! Surely if the water is toxic some health and safety laws must come in to play?
Yankeebravo
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 12:32 PMKen Hudson - '(For the festival) we provide showers so that people can clean themselves off.' - I'm sorry, is that a joke? What does he expect people to be doing during the Riversway festival?! As I understand it, the previous Labour administration began work to look at the algae problem. However, it is difficult to see what the council has done since the Tories took over. Ken Hudson's emphasis on a single community event rather than the actual problem, would suggest he doesn't actually know what to do. No change there then...
River
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 11:32 AMThank goodness Preston people managed to stop our council building the Ribble Barrage. Similar silts would have built up behind that barrage, leading to similar problems of stinking water, flies and blue green algae. The blue green algae problem in the docks has been known about for years, yet still nothing is done about it. This is mismanagement and neglect, leading to a public health hazard.
Minnow
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 10:34 AMNo no no no no This business of “we are working with x y and z” is nonesence, the council has been sat on it's hands for years The dock is a wasted resource. United Utilities are digging up the roads around Docklands for the next 2 years. Why didn't some clever feller make them drive a blooming big pipe from the river, to the east of the dock to flush it out regularly, as a cost of the work they are already doing. Couldn't manage that, we are only councilors. United Utilities, doing work in the area fore 2 years, cocking up the traffic for 2 years, and nobody thought to make them clean out the dock at the same time. Monumentally Thick., lets vote them in again then.
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