Inquiry Determines Sewage Not Responsible for Mass Fish Deaths

An ongoing inquiry into a “distressing” incident involving numerous deceased fish in a nature reserve’s lake has determined that sewage was not the cause. In September, dead fish were observed floating on the surface of Jubilee Lake, located in Royal Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire. The town council, which reported the discovery of approximately 400 fish, has collaborated with the Environment Agency to ascertain the cause of the event. Councillor Pat Farrow, the town’s mayor, stated: “There could be an element of detergent – at the very beginning, the lake was tinged blue.” During September, deceased fish rose to the lake’s surface, necessitating the removal of many “smelly bin bags” of them by the council. The Environment Agency deployed aerators to increase the lake’s oxygen levels, which had decreased. Ms Farrow commented: “Obviously we were very shocked – it was quite a devastating event. “We lost a lot of fish, earlier in the year, the angling club had restocked the lake so the loss was quite devastating for them.”It was very distressing for people coming down the lake and finding fish floating at the top and the smell.” She informed the BBC about the Environment Agency’s testing procedures, which included collecting samples from tributaries and nearby businesses, alongside inspecting sewer lines and storm drains. The agency has been systematically ruling out potential causes and plans to introduce coloured dyes into local tributaries and storm drains to detect any previously unidentified inflows into the lake. The agency informed the BBC that species such as roach, bream, pike, tench, and carp were among those found dead, adding that “despite extensive investigations, have been unable to identify a cause to date.” The agency concluded: “Our investigation is therefore on-going.” For updates, follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.