On Saturday 5th February, local residents marched from the Civic Centre to Harefield Moor to call on Hillingdon Council to take action again HS2 work which threatens London’s drinking water.
Currently, HS2 are undertaking construction around the Landfill site, west of Harvil road. The site known to be leaking pollution, lies over an aquifer which supplies 3.2 million people, including Hillingdon residents. This Monday (7th February), HS2 work extended further. The longer the work goes on, the greater likelihood of the Blackford public water pumping station (which is temporarily closed), downhill from the HS2 worksite, being polluted. If this happens, 20 million litres a day will be lost from the public supply.
As well as making the water undrinkable, the pollution may financially hit Hillingdon residents. Under the Polluter Pays principal Hillingdon Council will be liable if landfill leachates (ammoniacal nitrates) reach the Blackford public water source.
Sarah Green, event organiser commented:
“We are calling on the Council to instruct HS2 to halt works in the aquifer until they can show the council how the leachate will be controlled and contained. We are also asking LBH if they have a financial indemnity to cover the spread of their pollution by HS2 works? If not this is a liability for Hillingdon residents”.
The Department of Transport has issued an unlimited financial liability to Affinity Water Ltd to cover all costs they incur through damage to the aquifer by HS2 Ltd works. This puts the public at unlimited risk of not only losing local water supply but also paying for replacement water from Thames Water Ltd which is of less good quality, more expensive and would need to travel further.
Cover Photo Credit: Maureen McLean
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