SES Water is putting water back into the upper pond for Remembrance weekend, but the leaks are not fixed. Specialists started work on site this week.

Water is going back into Carshalton Ponds for the Remembrance weekend. It is a temporary measure, and the leaks that drained the ponds last month have not been fixed.

Sutton Council said on Thursday 5 November that residents “may notice water returning” over the weekend. SES Water has agreed to put water back into the upper pond “as an Act of Remembrance” (council update).

The borough’s civic Remembrance Sunday service is at Carshalton War Memorial, beside the ponds, at 10.50am on Sunday 8 November. Details are in our Remembrance Sunday page.

Why it is only for the weekend

SES Water stopped topping up the ponds in mid-October because of the Environment Agency’s national drought restrictions. The ponds drained overnight on 17 October, faster than anyone expected.

The council says SES Water can add water this weekend because current demand is low enough to do it “without breaching their permit conditions”. It describes the arrangement as “on a temporary basis”.

The council is clear that this is not a repair. “Unfortunately, the problems surrounding the ponds have not been resolved,” it said.

Where the investigation has got to

The council says it began engaging specialists on site this week. They are doing the detailed investigation needed “to give us a full picture of where all the damage and leaks are”.

So far, the council has said:

  • one of the underground plugs in the upper pond is damaged
  • the scale of the water loss from both ponds means there is likely to be more than one cause
  • the springs that normally feed the ponds are seasonal, and the ponds depend on SES Water when they are dry

There is still no date for a fix. Our earlier report sets out every council update since the ponds drained.

The wildlife

The council says the wildlife “remains a primary concern”. It is monitoring the ponds with local groups, including the Swan Sanctuary, and is in regular contact with the Environment Agency about the fish. A carp found in the ponds on 30 October was moved to the lake in Beddington Park.

What it means for you

  • If you go to the Remembrance service on Sunday, the upper pond should have water in it. The council has not said whether the lower pond will.
  • Expect the level to fall again once the weekend is over. The leaks are still there, and the top-up is temporary.
  • If you see an animal in distress, use the notices around the ponds, which the council put up for that purpose.

Sources