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Image by Niklas Weiss

Woodbridge and Melton - Storm Overflow Incident on 6th, 7th and 8th July 2025

  • Writer: Deben Climate Centre
    Deben Climate Centre
  • Jul 9
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jul 19

Deben Climate Centre volunteers conducted their monthly sampling on Monday 7th July after the weekend rains. The samples taken from the tidal section, between Wilford Bridge at Melton and Kyson Point near Woodbridge, were tested for E,coli and the results showed that a major pollution incident was in progress, with E.coli levels between 3 and 30 times the “safe bathing limit”.


Further investigation showed that Anglian Water had recorded a “storm overflow release” which started on Sunday night 6th and ran all the way to Tuesday lunchtime 8th. This 41 hour release is one of the longest recorded incidents of sewage and rainwater discharge in the Deben catchment.


Here is the data from our samplings:


E.coli pollution in colonies per 1ml

Location
E.coli colonies per 1ml

Wilford Bridge

14

Melton Sluice

160

Deben Mills Sluice

300

Lime Kiln Quay

51

Woodbridge Tide Mill

34

Woodbridge Houseboats

71

Deben Yacht Club

130

Kyson Point

28

The Environment Agencies safe bathing guideline is a maximum of 9 colonies per ml.


Photo of 3 E.coli plates (paper tests with a circle in the centre covered in a yellow grid, with E.coli colonies showing up as blue dots) showing a range from 300 colonies to 28.

Environment Agency and Anglian Water were alerted to this major incident as soon as the results had been verified and the data was shared with local swimming and water sports groups. We have asked the Environment Agency to investigate further


The latest information on Wednesday 9th is that this alarming pollution incident is still going on as tests today at the Yacht Club site have shown elevated levels of E.coli still present in the tidal water.


Friday 11th Update:

As of this morning we believe the effects of the pollution incident to have passed and E.coli levels to have returned to pre-incident levels. Fortunately, we have found that the immediate impact further down teh Deben at Waldringfield, Ramsholt and Bawdsey was negligible, showing yet again the power of tidal dilution in our river.


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