Wylam Clean Tyne Group holds meeting on River Tyne samples

The Wylam Clean Tyne Group monitors the river's water quality for bacteria including E.coli along with phosphates and nitrates.

The group was unsuccessful in its application for bathing water status (BWS) last year, which is a way of ensuring the quality of the water where it would be regularly tested, identifying any sources of pollution and work with polluters to stop it.

A Wylam CSO (combined sewage overflow) pipe spilling after local rain (Image: Clean Tyne River Group)

The public uses the river from fishermen to dog walkers and canoeists.

Dr Stephen Westgarth, chair of the group, said samples taken by the group from the River Tyne between Wylam and Ovingham show levels of E.coli in the water that surpass the levels set by DEFRA which applies to bathing water quality. The Environment Agency monitors water quality in rivers for wildlife and ecology.

After heavy rainfall in summer, group members tested the water and found high levels of E.coli – the highest levels topping 13,700, above the DEFRA safety standard of 900 colony-forming units (CFUs) per 100mls, a measurement used to estimate how many microbial cells are in a sample. 

The results provide strong evidence it is not safe for people to paddle, play or swim in the river.

A sanitary towel or wet wipe in the River Tyne, which came out of the CSO pipe (Image: Supplied)

"The upper limit of what's normal is up to 900 CFUs - that's acceptable in terms of water safety according to DEFRA," Dr Westgarth said.

Other routine samples show 2,500, 3,000 or 6,000 CFUs. 

New water samples and their results will be shared in a public meeting, from 8-9pm on November 7 at the Wylam Institute.

"We've clearly got abnormally elevated levels of E.coli. It's likely that's either coming from the sewage industry or agriculture," he said.

The bacteria can cause vomiting in humans and in some cases can be fatal. It is harmful to wildlife and aquatic life as it removes oxygen from the water.

"It leaves the water unable to support life," Dr Westgarth said. "We shouldn't treat the river as an open sewer, a free resource to tip faeces into.

"We want it to be a general election issue, we're going to keep sampling and clarify the main sources of pollution. We're keen for other people in the Tyne catchment area to get in touch if they're interested in setting up their own local monitoring where they are. That would give valuable information on the sources of pollution."

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Current regulations for rivers and open waters in England protect wildlife and are not designed for the protection of human health. The River Tyne has hugely improved water quality over past decades, from being heavily polluted in the 1950s, to becoming the top salmon river in the country.

“However, we understand the increasing interest in using England’s rivers for recreation and we have already provided advice and guidance to individuals and groups interested in applying for bathing water status across the country.

“We agree that is unacceptable to still be seeing current levels of pollution across the country. We are determined to improve the quality of our waters and are holding the water industry, farmers and anyone who pollutes our rivers to account on a scale never seen before.

“Our officers carry out numerous inspections of local sewage works and farms along the Tyne and its catchment to ensure they are compliant with their permits to prevent pollution from happening. Where there is evidence of non-compliance, or a pollution incident has occurred we will not hesitate to pursue the companies or individuals and take appropriate action.”