Exclusive:Sewage confirmed in Sheffield stream as resident claims council estate has been “ignored for years”

Sewage pollution has been confirmed in a stream running through a Sheffield park, with residents now raising fears about the impact on wildlife, pets and children playing in the area.

Yorkshire Water and the Environment Agency have both acknowledged that waste water entered the watercourse in Greenhill Park following blockages in the sewer network near Lowedges.

The Environment Agency is now investigating the incident and is awaiting he results of a formal report from Yorkshire Water before deciding how serious the pollution was and whether enforcement action will follow.

One local resident, who has been monitoring the stream over recent days, described the situation as “absolutely disgusting” and claimed the pollution was the result of years of neglect and a failure to properly maintain the system.

He said: “Someone could end up dead or seriously ill.

“There is also a local playground next to where the sewer tanks are. It’s not acceptable. Things are being allowed to discharge into a stream that kids want to play in.”

The resident added that some locals felt the area had been overlooked.

He said: “People around here feel like their concerns haven’t been taken seriously for years. Because it’s a council estate, there’s a feeling that issues get ignored and nothing gets done.”

He said he had spoken to a farmer who previously owned land surrounding the park, who told him the stream had once been clean enough to drink from.

According to the resident, the farmer said it was “such a shame” to see the condition of the water now compared to decades ago, when the area was far less built up and the stream was clear.

The resident said: “This is the last bit of countryside in the area and it feels like it is being seriously neglected.”

He also claimed residents had seen pollution in the stream for years, including toilet paper and sanitary products in the water.

Yorkshire Water confirmed waste water had entered the stream.

A spokesperson said: “Our teams have been dealing with two unrelated issues in Greenhill Park since Friday evening. We have removed a number of blockages within the combined waste water network in the area, as well as a blockage within a previously unmapped manhole.

“Unfortunately, the blockages resulted in waste water entering the nearby watercourse.”

The company said mitigation measures, including tankers, had been used to reduce the impact on the stream and confirmed an independent environmental survey had been commissioned.

Yorkshire Water said the pollution was caused by blockages linked to “roots, fats, oils and greases, as well as unflushable items and debris”.

The Environment Agency also confirmed a sewage discharge had taken place.

A spokesperson said: “The recent sewage discharge was caused by a blockage in a foul sewer which led to pollution via a surface water drain.”

The agency said officers had inspected two combined sewer overflows in the park just days before the incident and found both were operating within permit conditions at the time.

Investigators are now also exploring whether “misconnections” in the drainage network could have contributed to the pollution.

This can happen when household appliances or toilets are incorrectly connected into drains that discharge into streams rather than sewage treatment systems.

The agency said it could consider enforcement action if evidence shows an impact on surface or groundwater.