Ray Walton
Senior Member
Interestingly...If you google search for 'Otters Poisoned' it will punch up a number of results stating 'Bacteria' as a cause of Otter deaths.
Back in the 1980's early 1990's, i can remember requesting and receiving from the NRA(now EA) water quality documents for the Lower Dorset Stour which covered the lower end of Throop, Iford Bridge and the downstream area to the Harbour.
On this area there is a Holdenhurst Sewage Works which discharges treated sewage effluent and raw sewage at times. The monitored data in these document samples results showed that the amount of bacteria found in the river water was in the 'millions'. It was not uncommon to see used condoms, nappy liners etc in the river at Iford Bridge and to where kids and adults were paddling in the water. This was also the time that the local river and harbour users such as canoeists, surfers, boaters, swimmers and holidaymakers in Christchurch, downstream in and around the harbour, began contracting illnesses related to waterborne bacteria. Food for thought!
There was also a government warning at the time for locals not to eat or limit eating certain sea foods from around here (and elsewhere around the country) as they were highly contaminated from sewage etc which had accumulated in the bodies of the creatures to a dangerous high level.
Back in the 1980's early 1990's, i can remember requesting and receiving from the NRA(now EA) water quality documents for the Lower Dorset Stour which covered the lower end of Throop, Iford Bridge and the downstream area to the Harbour.
On this area there is a Holdenhurst Sewage Works which discharges treated sewage effluent and raw sewage at times. The monitored data in these document samples results showed that the amount of bacteria found in the river water was in the 'millions'. It was not uncommon to see used condoms, nappy liners etc in the river at Iford Bridge and to where kids and adults were paddling in the water. This was also the time that the local river and harbour users such as canoeists, surfers, boaters, swimmers and holidaymakers in Christchurch, downstream in and around the harbour, began contracting illnesses related to waterborne bacteria. Food for thought!
There was also a government warning at the time for locals not to eat or limit eating certain sea foods from around here (and elsewhere around the country) as they were highly contaminated from sewage etc which had accumulated in the bodies of the creatures to a dangerous high level.
Last edited:
