Glastonbury councillors have called for answers about the Millstream after reports of low water flow, green algae and a strong smell.

Cllr Paul Manning warned the stream could pose a public health risk if effluent was entering water that was barely moving.

"I think we are facing a possible public health emergency because effluent going into a stream that is not flowing," he told a town council meeting.

No water test results or public health advice were presented, and the meeting did not establish whether the stream posed a health risk.

Cllr Terry Napper said he had seen green algae and very little movement in the water. He also reported a pungent smell, but said he could not assess the water's condition.

Cllr Indra Donfrancesco said the Environment Agency had told the town council it was responsible for desilting the Millstream. She said the agency had cited budget cuts and the stream was not on its current list of work.

But a Somerset Rivers Authority report records that it funded weed control on the Glastonbury Millstream in 2025-26. That was weed control, not desilting. The report also says the Environment Agency has carried out less main river maintenance in recent years because of increased costs and reduced funding.

Cllr Ewan Cameron said Wessex Water's chief of operations had promised to send a team to inspect the Millstream. He said he had asked the company to write to the Environment Agency if the inspection found there was insufficient flow.

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The Millstream has also been the site of a reported fish kill. Wessex Water's 2026 pollution report records an incident downstream of Glastonbury's wastewater treatment works in July 2025. The company says the Environment Agency classified it as a Category 2 pollution incident, but disputes the cause. It says the agency upheld its classification after the company appealed.

The council discussed sending a further letter to the Axbridge Drainage Board. Cllr Cameron said the issue had already been raised with the Environment Agency, Somerset Rivers Authority and the drainage board.

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