A POLLUTION incident is due to be declared for the River Gannel following works to repair a leak on a main road in Newquay.

South West Water is due to make a “short” release of “fully treated UV-disinfected high-quality effluent” following an agreement with the Environment Agency as part of the works along Gannel Road.

The works to repair the leak have closed the Gannel Link Road for a second day, which has caused traffic congestion on surrounding roads including Mount Wise, Trenance Road and Edgcumbe Avenue.

A three-way traffic lights system had previously been in place, which had also caused traffic disruption.

South West Water said Gannel Road will remain closed until the work is finished.

Dave Swiggs, the director of wastewater services west at South West Water, said: “We are carrying out planned work on Gannel Road in Newquay to repair a leak. We will be rerouting some flows, with agreement from the Environment Agency agreement to make a short and controlled release of fully treated, UV-disinfected high-quality effluent into the River Gannel.

“The Environment Agency has advised it will issue a Pollution Incident Reporting Tool (PIRT) notification, which is standard protocol. We want to reassure the community that no untreated effluent will be released.

“We will continue to monitor water quality closely and Gannel Road will remain closed until the work is finished, and we apologise for the inconvenience.”

The Environment Agency stated South West Water (is repairing a leaking pipe within their Newquay sewerage system.

The pipe is used to transfer fully treated sewage from the Sewage Treatment Works (STW) to the permitted discharge to the Sea.

South West Water have been monitoring and undertaking temporary works to minimise risks to the environment by using tankers to remove a large proportion of the final treated effluent.

The water company proposed to fix the main pipe by diverting the fully treated effluent to a different discharge point while repairs are completed. Fully treated effluent will be discharged to the Gannel Estuary for a short period.

The Environment Agency has put information on bathing water quality at Crantock Beach on Swimfo so people can make an informed choice about using the bathing water whilst the sewage effluent is fully treated, including disinfection using UV treatment.

South West Water will have equipment in place to monitor and address any impacts on the environment. The Environment Agency will be available for attendance on site during the operations

A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “As a regulator we have ensured SWW fully considered all alternative options to enable the pipe repair to be completed while minimising the environmental impact.

“However, based on evidence from SWW fully treated effluent will need to be diverted to the estuary.

“This will enable the swift repair of the broken pipe and ensure safe transportation of sewage back to the usual discharge point as quickly as possible.

“Our trained officers will monitor this work to ensure environmental impact is reduced.”