A contamination incident at a renowned Yorkshire Dales tourist destination has resulted in E. coli infections affecting five individuals and a canine, according to environmental campaigners.
The Stop Ure Pollution group has raised serious health concerns following their discovery of dangerous bacterial contamination in the waters at Aysgarth Falls.
Testing conducted by the organisation revealed alarming contamination measurements that significantly exceeded safety standards.
The group's findings indicated bacterial concentrations reaching almost triple the established danger level, prompting them to issue an urgent public health warning last week.
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|A dangerous bacterial contamination was discovered in the waters at Aysgarth Falls
The infections occurred during July, with the severity of the outbreak leading to at least one person requiring hospital treatment.
Water quality assessments conducted by the campaign group revealed endotoxin risk unit readings of 151, 166, 151, 149 and 146 along the River Ure. These figures substantially surpass the recognised danger benchmark of 58 ERUs, which marks the threshold for high-risk classification.
The organisation performs routine water analysis at Ulshaw Bridge, situated downstream from Middleham, employing dual testing methods.
They utilise portable equipment providing rapid 15-minute results alongside verification through a Manchester-based chemical laboratory.
Laboratory analysis detected 2,100 colony-forming units in samples, dramatically exceeding the 900 CFU limit that defines poor water quality standards.
Professor Richard Loukota, who carried out the water analysis, expressed concern about public exposure to contaminated water while emphasising the need for safe river access. "We don't want people to stop using the river; we want them to be able to use the river safely," he stated.
During testing on Saturday, Prof Loukota observed approximately 20 visitors wading through the contaminated waters before eating at nearby picnic areas. "They then come out and have their picnic at the picnic tables, and I don't see a lot of hand hygiene," he noted.
The professor highlighted the health risks motivating their testing programme, stating: "The reason we're doing it is because people can get ill."
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River contamination stems from multiple origins
Yorkshire Water acknowledged that river contamination stems from multiple origins, encompassing storm overflow releases, agricultural runoff and wildlife sources.
The company outlined its commitment to environmental improvements through substantial financial investment.
A Yorkshire Water representative stated: "We are determined to play our part to improve river health and we will be investing millions of pounds in 14 storm overflows that discharge into the River Ure over the next five years to help improve river health."
The utility company revealed this forms part of a broader £1.5 billion regional investment programme aimed at reducing waterway discharges. They highlighted the necessity for collaborative efforts from various organisations, businesses and individuals to address all pollution sources affecting the region's watercourses.