ALMOST 50 instances of pollution were notified to the authorities over the past year but fewer than half of these were substantiated according to a report published recently.
The 2011 River Pollution Report lists 48 incidents reported of suspected pollution in the island’s rivers, harbours or beaches, but in more than half of those cases investigation failed to reveal any evidence of actual pollution.
Most pollution incidents during the year related to suspended solids in the water – such as dirt, silt, sand and dust – or sewage. As a result, water can be discoloured and fish eggs, fry and insects can be smothered. Such contamination can also kill fish as well as the many insects which need very clean water to thrive.
Oil spills and pollution from farm waste such as spilt slurry were less common, continuing the trend of the past few years and probably mirroring a degree of economic decline.
Some of the call-outs were sparked by natural phenomena such as foam in rivers, which proved to result from natural compounds released by plant or animal decay rather than spilled detergents. Similarly, oily sheens on water which sparked fears of petrol or diesel spills turned out to have natural causes such as bacteria.
A real pollution incident can require many visits by the DEFA’s Environmental Protection Unit (EPU), firstly to identify the pollution, then to stop it and finally to clean up the site sufficiently for it to recover.
Dr Calum MacNeil of the EPU, who compiled the report with Dr Phil Styles, said: ‘The public are urged to contact us immediately they witness water pollution, rather than leave it days – or even weeks – to report the incident, because by then the damage may well have been done and the polluter not identified or held to account.’
The report, entitled River Pollution Incidents Isle of Man 2011, is available on the DEFA website {http://www.gov.im/daff/enviro/protection/water.xml|www.gov.im/daff/enviro/protection/water.xml}.
The report provides details of the various individual incidents of pollution.