A nature group set up to encourage wildlife to a brook have found high levels of pollution and are calling on other Rutland villages to test their waterways. 

Greetham Goes Wild!'s testing of the North Brook in April as part of a citizen science water quality check across the country's rivers found some shocking results, that led environmental campaign group Earthwatch to declare the waterways in Rutland to be among the most polluted in the country. 

Greetham Goes Wild! group (Photo: LDRS)

The group found phosphate levels and high levels of the bacteria E. coli in parts of the village, particularly at the point of the brook close to where Anglian Water dumps sewage into the stream. 

Greetham Goes Wild! (GOW!) member Karen Mellor member says people who have lived in the village for decades remember when the brook, which rises in nearby Cottesmore and runs east through the back gardens of about a quarter of homes, was full of life. Recent testing by Leicestershire and Wildlife Trust did not find a single living creature. 

Karen said: "We came at this from a nature perspective and these findings have happened by accident. 

"When you get pollution reading levels that are so high, you do have to say – hang on a minute. 

"There is nothing that starts the food chain, for anything else. If we are looking at wildlife habitats, water sources are so important. Tim Sexton from [Leicestershire and Rutland] the wildlife trust did some testing. He expected to find the basics. He said he has never been to a waterway and found nothing." 

Greetham Brook showed very high levels of dangerous bacteria at sewage outflow point (Photo: LDRS)

Testing was carried out at 10 points around the village, including where the water spring rises. Here levels of pollution were very low but at the point in Debbie Oakes' home at which the sewage dumping occurs, the phosphate levels were high.  E. coli level tests were 130 colony forming units (CFU) before the sewage works and 4,200 CFU per 100ml at the sewage outflow point in Debbie's garden. Some strains of the bacteria cause toxins which can lead to illnesses and in very severe cases, death. 

Debbie, who is a biochemist, has lived in the property since the early 1990s and says in that time all wildlife has disappeared.  

 She said: "There have been a couple of serious incidents of high pollution. It is very obvious. They just let the sewage go and it comes in a huge torrent. 

"I have seen the brook die.  It has gone from having invertebrates, lots of plants, bank voles. It is just dead."  

Debbie does not let her animals drink from the water and says she has seen human waste floating down the stream. 

The issue of water quality across the country has been growing in prominence in recent years as campaign groups have pointed to the worsening pollution levels caused by the water companies dumping untreated sewage into the system. 

The private companies that run the water and sewage industry have long been criticised for not investing in infrastructure and paying bosses large bonuses and on Monday 21st July, the government announced that long standing water regulator Ofwat is to be disbanded and duties for regulating water taken off a number of other agencies, such as the Environment Agency, and given to a new all-powerful body. 

The government said there has been a 'merry go round' of regulators blaming each other and Environment Secretary Steve Reed says the water industry is broken and has pledged to halve the amount of sewage dumps over next five years. 

Some campaigners say these moves by the government have not gone far enough. 

GOW member Barbara Clarke said their testing points to Anglian Water's activities causing the pollution. 

She said: "We have to say there may be a different source of pollution, but having the sewage works so close, our best guess with the evidence gathered is that is the source." 

"This is why citizen science is so good. We are now beginning to collect the data to give to the agencies who are supposed to be there to protect us." 

Debbie says the water company and the environment agency need to do much more to tackle the issue. 

She said: "Nobody seems to have any ownership of the problem, they are just burying their head in the sand. It is going to be a big thing to deal with, but oh the glory of dealing with it." 

While the group's testing has happened in Greetham, GOW! is confident it is a county wide issue and would like other villages to check their own water pollution levels. They say there are 27 sewage works in Rutland and dumping occurs in many locations. 

Karen said: "Our studies are just a snapshot of what is happening elsewhere.  

"We think it is a Rutland wise issue and we want to get people engaged. Everybody needs to start doing something and it would be great if every village did their own testing." 

The issue has made its way to the council chamber and the scrutiny committee resolved to write to Anglian Water for more information about sewage dumping. According to today's government report Anglian Water's largest investors are pension funds. 

Anglian Water has been contacted for comment.