A COUPLE believe their dog’s death was hastened when it contracted suspected E Coli from foul water which spilled out of a manhole cover in a popular Barry park.
Sue and Joe Carroll regularly walked Cleo along Parade Gardens near the Knap, however in March, after taking beloved Cleo for a walk along the gardens, the dog became ill and two weeks later, sadly died.
Mrs Carrol explained: “Cleo was 14 and her kidneys were beginning to fail, but we believe her death was hastened by contracting suspected E Coli from foul water which spilled out of a manhole cover in Parade Gardens.”
Mrs Carrol says she complained to Welsh Water about the spillage before Cleo became ill and she claims Wales’ national water company did not initially reply.
Now, Welsh Water has replied and, worryingly, they have been unable to confirm or deny whether there is some form of sewage coming out the manhole cover that could have contributed to Cleo’s death.
A spokesperson for Welsh Water told Barry and District News: “We have been contacted by the owner of the dog and appreciate how upsetting the loss of a pet can be.
“Our team has previously attended Parade Gardens and undertaken some initial work to the manhole cover.
“We have advised however that we do need to carry out some further investigations within the network which we are unable to do until we see a period of dry weather.”
Ms Carroll says she is concerned about what could be coming out the manhole, which she thinks could pose a health risk to animals and people alike.
Ms Carroll said: “The water which escapes is, I understand, surface water contaminated with sewage, which flows through a pipe under the Parade Gardens when there is very heavy rainfall.
“I believe this constitutes a serious health risk to dogs and people. Many children ride their bikes or play ball in the park.
“Urgent action is needed. We need action now if more people are not going to go through the same heartbreak as we have done losing Cleo.”
Welsh Water say they are committed to investigating what is happening with the manhole at Parade Gardens.
A Dwr Cymru spokesperson added: “As soon as weather conditions permit, we will complete the investigation and in the meantime we would like to thank customers there for bearing with us.”
Got a story in Barry? Email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.
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