Dudley residents plagued by 'thick green slime' from 25-year-old leak

The leak on Woodfield Road in Lower Gornal – which can be seen on satellite images – leaves part of the road and pavement covered in thick green slime, causing it to become an "ice rink" every winter.

Dudley Council has vowed to make fixing it an "absolute priority" and said a long-term solution would be in place "as soon as possible".

Dudley North MP Marco Longhi said despite the leak being inspected on many occasions over the years, nothing had yet been done to sort it out.

He said: "The pavement and part of the road are covered in a thick green slime with water flowing through it. It is a small stream, and it has become dangerous to both pedestrians and road users.

"One resident told me that he had slipped in the middle of the road when trying to get to his car. A local postal worker I bumped into also told me that the pavement became an ice rink every winter.

"This has become a public safety risk, and someone needs to take ownership of this issue. It must not stay like this a day longer than is necessary, residents have suffered long enough!

“At a time when people are being asked to save water, take shorter showers, and potentially face a hosepipe ban, it seems ridiculous that nobody seems to know where this leak is coming from.

"Regardless of the source of the water, this problem needs sorting for the safety of residents."

Councillor Shaz Saleem, cabinet member for highways and public realm, said he had made the issue "an absolute priority".

"We are drawing up a plan to increase drainage in the area which should help alleviate the problem," he said. "We are also working on a longer term solution to the issue and will have something in place as soon as possible.”

The council are understood to have been working with South Staffordshire Water in recent months to locate the source of the discharge, which is believed to be a leaking water main.