A seal found 17 miles inland from the coast in late December is proof the River Mersey is clean, according to United Utilities, which says it has spent millions of pounds cleaning up the river over the past 20 years.
The seal washed up in a farmer’s field after swimming up the river, which used to be one of the most polluted waters in Europe.The company completed the MEPAS scheme in the 80s (Mersey Estuary By-Pass pipeline), removing millions of gallons of untreated sewerage from entering the river.
The 29km super-tunnel collected 28 separate raw sewerage outfall pipes from Crosby to Garston and transported it to a new Liverpool Treatment works on Sandon Dock. Since the clean-up, animals have been gradually returning to the Mersey.
Salmon were discovered recently, and four species of owl have also been spotted around the Fiddlers Ferry area. Recently a new £200 million extension to Liverpool’s Wastewater Treatment Works, will keep the Mersey clean for generations to come, and is now just over half-way through its construction.
