River Roding Health Concerns Raised by Councillor Paul Donovan

The Roding River flows through London. A kingfisher, buzzard, and otter may appear. It starts in Essex and goes to the Thames. It could become a swimmable river.

The river has great potential for wildlife. Local people care about this river. Volunteers help restore the river. They plant trees and remove trash near Woodford.

Neglect threatens all their hard work. Paul Donovan worries about the river’s future. A study discovered high E. coli levels. It also found intestinal enterococci.

Nine sewers released raw sewage. Sewage flowed for 316 hours during the study. Someone dumped oil in the river, Paul Powesland found it. Road runoff also pollutes the water.

One outflow harms Ilford’s water quality. E. coli spiked to 19 times the safe limit there. Powesland found this outflow four years ago. Thames Water has still done nothing.

The company prioritizes profit over service. The Environment Agency also lacks resources. Strong enforcement is needed. The London Mayor must act.

Local leaders must also help. Regulatory agencies need to protect the Roding now. We must save it before it’s too late to help.