Last week, people in Llanfoist were left worried by the appearance of a dark brown coloured area of the River Usk near the road bridge. At the time, Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) said there was no evidence of any pollution, but external results have depicted a different story.

The campaign group, Save the River Usk, commissioned its own independent testing by scientists at the University of South Wales, who have discovered a large amount of e-coli at the site compared to other parts of the waterway.

At Llanfoist Bridge, a sample taken from the site was found to contain 7,800 cfu E. coli per 100 mL of e-coli. That is 65 times more than another sample taken upstream, which returned 120 cfu E. coli per 100 mL

“These findings indicate a significant source of bacterial contamination affecting this stretch of the River Usk,” said Angela Jones, founder and Chair of Save the River Usk.

“Whatever the cause, these levels pose a risk to public health, and people should avoid entering the river in the affected area until the source is identified and the pollution is addressed.”

“The public deserve transparency and answers. If pollution is concluded to be a natural occurrence, investigations should include appropriate microbiological testing where bacterial contamination is a concern. Our independent testing has identified a serious difference in water quality that now requires a full and thorough investigation.”

Of course, the appearance of e-coli could be natural. The recent very warm weather has exacerbated the appearance of algae in the same stretch of the river and feeders including the River Gavenny frequently wash agricultural and urban pollution into the larger waterway.

Ms Jones continued, “A huge thank you to the scientists at the University of South Wales for carrying out this testing on behalf of Save the River Usk. We will continue to push for answers accountability and protection for our river.Thank you to Angler Anthony Flynn for bringing this to our attention”