Flood warden resigns over fears of health risks posed by raw sewage
A COUNCIL flood warden has resigned saying he does not want to “wade around ankle-deep in raw sewage”.
Cllr Gareth Deboos, an independent Ringwood town councillor, claimed that Wessex Water “do not know” what happens to waste after it is released in flood conditions.
Waste treatment plants are permitted to let out sewage via overflows in heavy rainfall or a storm.
But Cllr Deboos said that made it “too much of a health risk” as a flood warden, adding: “We are not provided with any protective gear at all, not even gloves.
“So I have to assume that we flood wardens would end up with raw sewage going round our ankles.
"I am not prepared to put myself at risk of gastroenteritis, diarrhoea or something similar when we are not provided with anything to protect ourselves."
Cllr Deboos said he had made his decision, which he announced at a meeting of the council's planning committee, after undertaking flood warden training which revealed the full extent of the contamination.
His role was to help emergency services coordinate support for residents, like helping them to safe places.
Cllr Deboos said he had asked the Environment Agency and Wessex Water what the consequences were, and claimed: “They basically replied that they did not know where it ended up.
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Fellow Ringwood town councillor Gloria O’Reilly said she would also be considering her position as a flood warden.
Ringwood Town Council said it intended to ask Wessex Water about providing protective equipment for wardens.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “We do have storm overflows in the area that release dilute waste water during times of heavy rainfall to protect homes from flooding. These are permitted by the Environment Agency who receive data for when they operate.
“Importantly, storm overflows are not cited as contributing to the River Avon failing to achieve ‘good status’ for water quality.
“We accept that there is need for a step change in the way storm overflows operate in the UK, but to do so is not simple and will require several years of sustained investment – to eliminate all overflows in England and Wales will cost in excess of £300bn.
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The spokesperson said that since 2000 Wessex Water has invested £181m on upgrading nearly 600 storm overflows, with a further £150m for improvements between 2020 and 2025.
