The non-profit organisation commissioned Oakshire Environmental to analyse water samples taken from a street near the river, which showed ‘elevated ammonia and bacteria levels’, including ‘faecal indicator organism concentrations, as well as high levels of E.coli’.
Roger Harding, director of Round Our Way, said: “All of us want to feel safe at home and know kids are fine if they go out to play, but these results show the disgusting filth and germs people have been exposed to in recent floods.
“The weather climate change brings sadly means the UK is flooding more and more, which is leaving people exposed not just to property damage but also getting really ill.
“We urgently need to see politicians better-protecting people from floods and the climate change that is making them more likely.”
Local business owner Richard Potter described the financial toll on his café, saying: “Our downstairs area has flooded eight or nine times in the last three months alone, costing us about £10,000 in lost revenue.
“Every time the floodwaters recede we have to bleach and disinfect tables and chairs.
“You see a film of muck such as on handrails by the river, which people touch.”
City officials, including Councillor Kate Ravilious, acknowledged the health hazards of sewage discharges and called for better protections against flooding, saying: “At present Yorkshire Water allows storm overflow discharges into rivers to prevent sewage backing up into the streets and homes where people live.
“With climate change increasing the frequency of flood events, this practice needs to change and, as stated in our council plan, we’ll continue to lobby Yorkshire Water to remove unregulated foul sewage discharge from York’s rivers.
“We have recently met with Yorkshire Water, who are responsible for most sewers, to make this case, and we call upon the Environment Agency to work with Yorkshire Water to reduce the need for storm overflow measures.”
Responding to the report, a Yorkshire Water spokesperson said: “We know the operation of storm overflows is an issue our customers care passionately about.
“We are investing £180 million by April 2025 to begin reducing their operation across the region, including projects in York at Fishergate, which has been completed, and Coney Street in the coming months.”
You can read the original report here.
