Sewage was dumped into a river near Manchester city centre after the system 'reached full capacity' amid the thunderstorm on Sunday (June 18).
Residents living nearby have commented on the 'sewage smell' coming from the River Medlock near Deansgate Square as a video of the brown and murky-coloured water was shared on social media.
United Utilities have said that following the bout of heavy rainfall on Sunday night, the sewer system 'temporarily reached full capacity' meaning the 'unwelcome' overflow system kicked in.
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This is when rain water, mixed with sewage, rises inside the sewer before eventually entering a separate pipe which then flows out into a river or the sea to 'prevent flooding of streets, homes and businesses.'
United Utilities also added that despite wildlife fears caused by the sewage, they found 'no odour issues' and or any 'signs of dead fish' at the site and that a £3 billion programme to address this over the coming years is in the works.
But local resident Jonathan Schofield, writer and 'editor of Manchester Confidential' has said this 'shouldn't be happening in 2023' as he raised concerns about how it could impact wildlife. The sewage being released can also temporarily affect river and bathing water quality.
He said: "Normally when there is a storm you can bet that United Utilities will release a load of sewage into the local rivers. There is definitely a smell down by the Medlock in Castlefield. You can definitely smell that sewage smell.
"It can kill wildlife, if there is too much sewage it will kill the oxygen and the fish will die. The thing is this just shouldn’t be happening in 2023. There must be a way to stop it happening as other countries don’t have this."
A United Utilities spokesperson said: “We have carried out checks in the area today and there weren’t any signs of dead fish or any odour issues. We encourage anyone who spots dead fish to report it to the Environment Agency.
“As a result of heavy rain last night, the sewer system temporarily reached full capacity and an overflow operated as designed and a permitted release of stormwater took place for 15 minutes.
"We know storm overflow operation is unwelcome but it is an essential mechanism to prevent homes and businesses flooding during heavy rainfall. We are currently planning a £3 billion programme of investment to address this over the coming years."
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