Faeces and toilet paper are suspected to have flooded into a river after a sewage network blockage.

Tristan Dicker, 31, spotted the River Colne looking unusual during a midday stroll near Radlett Road and Bushey Mill Lane on February 19.

The Watford resident said: “First of all I saw a load of white specs in the river. As I looked closer, I realised it was toilet paper.  

Watford Observer: Mr Dicker said he it smelt as he got closer to the sewageMr Dicker said he it smelt as he got closer to the sewage (Image: Tristan Dicker)

“I walk along this stretch every day and I have never seen anything like it.”

Mr Dicker, who is a builder by trade, said it didn’t take him long to notice it was sewage.

Watford Observer: Mr Dicker said he saw toilet paper caught in the trees on the river bankMr Dicker said he saw toilet paper caught in the trees on the river bank (Image: Tristan Dicker)

He added: “I thought to myself this is my local area and I didn’t think it was the nicest thing to pump into the river.

“I went up stream and found sewage coming out of a large pipe and it smelt foul and unnatural.”

Mr Dicker said he believed it had to be foul waste because it hadn’t rained much in three weeks.

“I don’t want my dog going into the river with all the faeces, not to mention what it is doing to the fish and the birds,” he said.

Toilet paper and litter had been caught on some of the branches on the riverbank near the pipe, he added.

Watford Observer: Mr Dicker said he had never seen the river look like this beforeMr Dicker said he had never seen the river look like this before (Image: Tristan Dicker)

“It’s quite a picturesque part of Watford. For something like that to happen is disgusting."

Thames Water confirmed there was a blockage and it fell under its sewage network.

A spokesperson said engineers visited on Monday, February 20, following reports of pollution from a pipe.

They added: “We deployed booms to prevent sewage and wet wipes, fats, oils and greases spreading from the pipe and sandbags at the manhole nearby.

 

Watford Observer: A location spot as to where the sewage was first appearingA location spot as to where the sewage was first appearing (Image: Tristan Dicker)

“We found and cleared a blockage on the sewer network at 6pm yesterday evening.”

The spokesperson said that engineers were on site this morning (February 21) to check the area had been fully cleared and the organisation is arranging a clean of the sewer line.

“Customers can also help us prevent blockages by only flushing the three Ps – pee, poo and paper,” they added.