COUNCILLORS have expressed concerns about an ongoing issue with a drain which is causing a strange smell.
Residents in Station Road, Earls Colne, are worried about a drain which has been leaking chemical-smelling water, with some claiming it has been like that for at least ten years.
Concerned dog walkers who use the path have made their fears known to the parish council in case pets are tempted to drink it.
Some claim the escaping water is finding its way into the river and affecting the shrubbery.
However, it is unclear whether the water is coming from the drain or run-off from another source.
Earls Colne Parish Council and other councillors say nothing is being done.
Halstead county councillor Chris Siddall said: “This is simply not good enough and despite reporting this to various bodies the problem still persists.
"The chemical run-off from this cover continues to find its way into the River Colne and must be endangering fish and other aquatic life.”
However, it has still not been confirmed where the cause is coming from.
A spokesman for Anglian Water said: “Whilst this is not our manhole, we will send someone from our team to check this out.”
A spokesman for the Environmental Agency also confirmed that the issue has been investigated previously but no concerns were found.
They said: “Following reports from members of the public, the Environment Agency has monitored the local rivers for possible pollution from manholes in the area.
“However, this monitoring hasn’t shown any local environmental impacts.”
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