[iamnew]

Hi all, the bottom half of my allotment has been flooded from the river.   I don't know whether this has been contaminated by sewerage water. My husband says that the surviving crops, courgetts butternut squash and pumpkins will be ok but i dont want to take any changes. I'm going to grow the pumpkins just for halloween. Do you think i need to burn the rest? My friends potatoes def need burning as she was using my bottom bed. Also does anybody know whether the soil would be ok to use, or is there something i should do??? Apart from building a flood defence lol!!

[GrannieAnnie]

If its been contaminated with sewerage water, but is now drying out, you may get the biggest spuds you've ever seen!!!!    

My OH, used to know a man who worked at the local sewerage works.  One day he gave OH some tomatoes.  They were huge, and lovely toms.  Where do you grow tomatoes like these my OH said to him.  Oh I dont grow them he said, tomato seeds don't digest in your stomach.  These grow out on the farm!!!!!  And they used to incinerate the sewerage, don't know if they still do at all, but they gave OH a lorry full and he put it under lawns that he was making for people when he had his landscaping business.  He told me that first year, they were the only green lawns in the town that summer!!!!

[brucesgirl]

Yes a friend of ours used to give us sewage sludge for our garden - it was superb stuff!! And we did get tomatoes growing everywhere so just weeded them out. And he also told us about the tomatoes they grew over there, so all sewage farms must do the same.

[Beanzie]

Personally, I woudn't worry unduly. The soil contains plenty of bacteria that shouls breakdown and neutalise anything thats potentially harmful. Some of the best tomatoes are found growing wild on sewage farms.
All I would suggest is give it a couple of weeks before using anyof the produce

[iamnew]

Thankyou for all your replies!!   i won't worry to much about it then!

[Trillium]

I remember my grandad telling me that when he came to Canada that he had little money so he grew what he could. A trip to the city sewage farm and he went home with an armful of very healthy, free, tomato plants.