03/05/2026
This shows the power of citizen science. A serious sewage pollution in the New Forest has been found and stopped. This only happened due to the tenacity of local water samplers.
The recovery of Danes Stream won't be quick. Hopefully the polluters are held accountable and fund the clean up / recovery.
Danestream, Milford-on-Sea Further News of Pollution Incident
As part of New Forest Water Watch monitoring, Danestream Dippers carried out routine sampling at Milford-on-Sea in late April. What we found was not routine.
It was a clear pollution incident. The evidence was immediate and unambiguous.
E. coli levels were dangerously high (91,000 CFU/100ml). The water was grey-brown and foul-smelling. Fish were observed gasping at the surface, a recognised sign of severe oxygen stress. As we continued upstream, conditions worsened: grey filamentous sewage fungus was widespread, invertebrate life was absent, and dead fish were found.
These are not marginal indicators. Taken together, they are consistent with acute organic pollution and severe oxygen depletion.
We escalated immediately.
Further sampling was carried out, including ammonia, nitrate and phosphate measurements. We also traced the watercourse upstream to identify the source. A further urgent report was made to the Environment Agency, and members of the public were advised to leave the water.
At this stage, we were already dealing with an active environmental incident, not a theoretical risk.
Investigation and response
Adam from FLOW CIC was able to physically enter the polluted stream and used visual, chemical and sensory indicators to locate a discharge point entering the watercourse.
At this point, the situation moved from suspicion to confirmation: a pollution event was actively occurring.
A third incident report was submitted. Overnight, personnel from both the Environment Agency and Southern Water attended the site; in the morning pumps were shut down to cut off the sewage and tankers were deployed to remove contaminated flows. Thank you.
This is where the frustration lies.
We first raised concerns weeks earlier. Initial reassurance was given that no issue had been found. Yet the conditions we observed on the ground told a very different story.
We are left asking how long this had been occurring, and how much ecological damage could have been prevented with earlier recognition.
What we are now seeking clarity on:
What was the exact nature of the discharge?
How long had it been occurring?
What ecological impact has it had?
What measures will prevent recurrence?
Will ongoing monitoring now be implemented?
We have identified a likely source during our investigation, but it is not our role to formally attribute responsibility. That must come from the Environment Agency.
Why this matters
Fish behaviour, microbial growth and oxygen stress provided the earliest and clearest warning signs. This incident demonstrates, once again, that biological observation remains one of the most sensitive tools we have for detecting environmental harm.
It also demonstrates the importance of local monitoring groups such as Danestream Dippers from New Forest Water Watch. Without their on the ground investigation, this incident may not have been fully recognised or escalated. Thank you Dippers, and thanks to everyone who has lent a hand here.
We are angry, but we are also focused.
Angry that the river reached this condition.
Angry that fish were suffering and had died.
Angry that early warnings did not reflect what was happening on the ground.
But determined to keep going, because without monitoring, none of this would have been seen at all.
This is why we do this work. And why we will continue. Let’s see this gem of a New Forest stream restored to its former condition.
If you want to support what we are doing please donate here: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/newforestwaterwatch
Many thanks!
