'Dogs falling sick and wildlife dying' as Buckshole Reservoir in Hastings' Alexandra Park closed due to 'sewage leaks'

Buckshole Reservoir in Alexandra Park is popular with anglers and dog walkers.

But the area has been shut, with warning signs placed by Hastings & Bexhill Angling Association and members of Hastings Alexandra Park Community.

One of the signs says: “There is currently a health and safety hazard due to sewage leaks in the water. There have been reports of dogs falling sick following contact, and death to surrounding wildlife.

"This is a warning to make dog walkers aware, as well as those with children. Do not enter the water.

"If you see any dead or suffering animals, please report it to the park ranger, HBC, or post online within our Facebook group (Hastings Alexandra Park Community) where you will also find current up-to-date information.”

Last month residents said there had been a ‘strong toxic smell and untreated sewage’ in the stream that runs south through Old Roar Gill and Coronation Wood Nature Reserve into Buckshole Reservoir.

Eoin Freeman, of Hare Way, said the smell had been occurring for more than a week.

He wrote to borough councillors Paul Foster, John Rankin, Andy Batsford and Peter Pragnell to inform them of the problem.

Sewage trucks were also spotted in the area.

A clean-up operation is still ongoing.

Last Thursday (June 15), Hastings Borough Council posted an update on its Facebook page.

The authority said: “Hastings Borough Council continues to monitor the clean up work being done by the Environment Agency and Southern Water around the Old Roar Gill area. The work is the responsibility of Southern Water.

"The council will ensure that a full review of the incident is carried out once the work has been completed. This will include a full ecological impact assessment of the sewage outpouring and an impact analysis on the waterway and ecology of the water bodies and streams in Alexandra Park.”

A spokesperson for Southern Water said the company had been working ‘around the clock’ since the problem was first identified last month.

The company said the ‘watercourse of pollution’ happened after a blockage caused a manhole to spill into Bucks Hole Pond.

The firm added it was working closely with the Environment Agency.

The spokesperson said: “Since May we have been in the Alexandra Park area after a pollution event at Bucks Hole Pond in St Leonards.

“We take pollution very seriously and although we had identified and fixed the initial blocked manhole that caused this problem, we kept teams in the area to continue the important work of testing, cleaning the pond and minimising any environmental impacts.

“Over the last week we identified a further pollution (which is unconnected) which we’re still investigating. We minimised the environmental impact to a stream close to Buckshole Reservoir through putting in haybales, sandbags and a tankering operation, which has now been stood down.

“We know how concerned local residents have been by this, and we are continuing to work in the area to minimise the environmental impact of any pollution. We’re taking regular samples of the watercourse to see if there are harmful levels of pollution and we will continue this for foreseeable future.

“Our initial testing over the last week has indicated there are low ammonia levels, and it is not clear what has caused blue discolouration but we will continue our investigations.

“We remain in regular communication with local councillors in the area and the Environment Agency.”