Sewage was dumped into waterways around Bolton for thousands of hours last year, creating “grey, discoloured water” and “scum on the surface.” Figures from the Rivers Trust show that in 2023 sewage was dumped into waterways across the Bolton West area, which includes Westhoughton and Horwich , for 6,100 continuous hours. This same year, Westhoughton alone saw 1,850 continuous hours of sewerage discharges going directly into Hall Lee Brook.
Environmental campaigner Paul Blinkhorn said: “It’s noticeable in the grey discoloured water, the stench and the scum on the surface of the water. “It’s time we put our environment before profit.” Concerns have been raised about the quality of waterways (Image: Public) Campaigners in the area say that dog walkers and families out for weekend walks have been alarmed by the sewage dumping.
Cllr John McHugh, of Westhoughton South, said: “Westhoughton residents have contacted me in disgust at the raw sewage being discharged into their local waterways and I will continue to shine a light on this unacceptable state of affairs.” This has also spread further afield, with the sewage dumped into Hall Lee Brook which then flows into Leigh via Westleigh Brook, behind Westleigh High School. From there it flows on into Pennington Flash.
Both Bolton West and Leigh saw marked increases in the amount of sewage dumping compared to 2022 according to Rivers Trust data. Cllr McHugh and his colleague Cllr David Chadwick have called for more.
