Lightbody catches construction workers dumping in local creek
On Monday morning, the Madbury Commons construction site was seen dumping sedimentation into the Pettee Brook in Durham. The brook appeared extremely polluted and murky; quite different from its natural state. Several passersby noticed a green hose that was pumping into the brook. The town was immediately contacted.
Anne Lightbody, a resident of Durham and a University of New Hampshire earth sciences professor, observed the incident when she left the dentist’s office located on Mathes Terrace.
“Walking across the foot bridge between Mathes Terrace and the Pettee Brook parking lot a little before 9 a.m. on Monday morning, I noticed high levels of turbidity in Pettee Brook, which had turned the water from dark and clear to opaque tan,” Lightbody said. “Looking closer, I was surprised to see that high levels of suspended sediment seemed to be entering the brook.”
Lightbody then noticed the source of the discoloration.
“The stream bend was close to the Madbury Commons construction site, and the outlet hoses from a few portable pumps were draped over the boundary of the site, so it appeared that the sediment entering Pettee Brook might be coming from the construction site.”
Lightbody took precaution and contacted Todd Selig, Durham town administrator. Within minutes, town officials had contacted the construction firm and were taking steps to address the problem.