An employee of De Dommel Water Board and an employee of a contractor company became ill after mowing the banks of the Zandleij stream near Cromvoirt. That happened earlier this year. After mowing, the two did not feel well. The water board does not rule out that this is due to medicine residues in the water and advises local residents not to come into contact with the water. This is stated in a letter in the hands of Omroep Brabant.
According to local residents, the problem with water quality in the Zandleij has been going on for years, but has become worse recently. The water board denies that the situation has deteriorated, but it is certain that the water is often dark brown and stinks. There is currently hardly any vegetation visible in parts of the stream.
Health
In addition to dirty, smelly water, there now also seem to be health problems around the Zandleij. The two employees in question were not feeling well when they were mowing the banks of the stream with a mowing boat at the beginning of this year.
This was reason for the water board to start an investigation into the quality of the water. That investigation has not yet yielded anything, and we are now also looking into whether there could be another reason. For example, the employees could have become unwell from diesel fumes.
Medicine residues
But it is certain that the water in the Zandleij is often not clean. During dry periods, the water in the stream consists largely of treated sewage and waste water from the water treatment plant in Tilburg.
The water board states that it is never possible to remove all medicine residues and chemical substances from that water and therefore takes into account that the employees have become ill as a result.
Danger to dogs
Since the incident, the banks have been mowed from the side and employees have been sitting in special cabins to prevent contact with the water. Local residents are advised not to come into contact with the water, this also applies to dogs.
The water board reports that it is working on a better way to purify the water, so that medicine residues and chemicals can be filtered better in the future.
Letters from local residents
Local residents indicate that they have already received several letters from the water board. The water board did not report the incident anywhere else, because the seriousness of the men’s complaints would not give reason to do so.
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