Foam mountain engulfs River Lea
Photographs: Kriss Lee
The River Lea was being investigated this weekend after water pollution caused a huge mass of foam substance to build-up on the river’s surface.
The foam was so thick that it obscured parts of the watercourse at Lea Bridge Weir, near Hackney Marsh.
The Environment Agency used specialist equipment to stop the foam mountains spreading, which they believe was caused by a form of detergent entering the water.
Witnesses took to social media to express their surprise at the sight of the foam which reached up to 10ft high in some places. One user tweeted:
One of the most bizarre things I’ve seen: the Lea River is full of soap bubbles. pic.twitter.com/YJnsXWWG8U
— Kari Stewart (@klstewart) September 13, 2014
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “Water samples were taken to ascertain the toxicity of the substance but there are currently no issues with water quality in the river.
“Our response is ongoing to locate the source of the pollution and an investigation into the incident is currently underway.
A spokesperson for the Canal and River Trust said: “The foam was pretty incredible. We had a team onsite on Saturday and offered our support to the Environment Agency who lead on pollution incidents. Thankfully they were able to deal with it pretty quickly.
“We know the Environment Agency are looking into the cause, and we’ll continue to provide them with any help they might need.”
The Environment Agency encouraged anyone with information on the incident to call the 24 hour hotline on 0800 807060.