Woodbridge and Melton - Pollution Incident on 4th August 2025
- Deben Climate Centre
- Aug 5
- 1 min read
Our sampling yesterday morning and tests overnight have revealed that there has been another pollution incident at Melton/Woodbridge. Testing at Wilford Bridge through Woodbridge down to the Deben Yacht Club all showed elevated levels of E.coli, with dangerously high levels between 80 and 250 colonies per ml at three of the four testing sites. The Environment Agency's safe bathing guideline is a maximum of 9 colonies per ml.
We also tested at Waldringfield and found - although further diluted - raised levels of E.coli equivalent to 500 colonies per 100ml.
According to Anglian Water's storm overflow tracker Woodbridge TPS had a 90 minute spill on the evening of Sunday 3rd, however we suspect that the source may instead be a release from the Melton sewage treatment works, which is not monitored by the public tracker.
Given the recent unprecedented pollution incident at the beginning of July we are deeply concerned that the tidal Deben has yet again been polluted by high E.coli levels.
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