To whom it may concern, Under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations I would like to request the following information – Are you monitoring the levels and specific pollutants discharged from drains/highway outfalls under your control? Specifically, do you monitor for Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, copper, and zinc. Please provide copies of any policy, guidance and other relevant documentation that you have regarding monitoring drains/highway outfalls. Please provide details of the measures taken to monitor discharges from drains/highways outfalls. Please provide details of the methodology employed for this monitoring and testing carried out for pollutants discharged from drains/highway outfalls.

---

Thank you for your email received by Transport for London (TfL) on 20 December 2017 asking for information about pollutants from outfalls.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and TfL’s information access policy. I can confirm TfL does not hold the information you require. You asked:

Are you monitoring the levels and specific pollutants discharged from drains/highway outfalls under your control?

Specifically, do you monitor for Cadmium, Lead, Mercury, Nickel, Polyaromatic hydrocarbons, copper, and zinc.

Please provide copies of any policy, guidance and other relevant documentation that you have regarding monitoring drains/highway outfalls.

Please provide details of the measures taken to monitor discharges from drains/highways outfalls.

Please provide details of the methodology employed for this monitoring and testing carried out for pollutants discharged from drains/highway outfalls.

Principally highway surface water runoff is intercepted via gullies. The highway gullies are cleaned and emptied by our highways operation teams to minimise the susceptible of flooding and ensure fitness for purpose and provide the level of service required by the Highways Act. There are no statutory indicators to monitor the level of pollutants collected in gullies.

Surface water run-off from the highway network is discharged into Thames Water’s system, and undergoes treatment before it is discharged to an agreed consented discharge location. It is the duty of the water treatment undertaker to comply with the strict guidelines set by the Environment Agency to ensure the pollution is contained.

If this is not the information you are looking for, please feel free to contact me.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.

Yours sincerely,

Melissa Nichols

FOI Case Officer

FOI Case Management Team

General Counsel

Transport for London

Back to top

---