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  Seth Burgess February 26, 2015 at 9:12pm

  Depends on the wood. If it's oak or pine it'll be soaked in creosate as well as diesel and oil. But if you can find some Jarrah or Azobe (there are also a few other tree species used for sleepers that dont need treating but I can't remember any) sleepers these will only be covered in diesel and oil so you be able to power wash them clean.

  Possibly newer sleepers would be okay if they're pine or oak as they dont use creosote anymore but you'd have to check if this is safe for use in water courses.
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  Colin Hunt February 27, 2015 at 6:37am

  Maybe a question to put to the Environment Agency, getting it wrong could prove very costly.
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  Derek Conway February 27, 2015 at 5:00pm

  I used Jarrah sleepers for a walkway through a bog along time ago, on a National Trust for Scotland property, there unbelievably hard and great for a job like that.  Not sure how easy they are to get now, their sought after by craftman who plank them for furniture making
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  Peter Jones February 27, 2015 at 8:07pm

  Thanks for the replies, been reading up on this today, not sure reclaimed sleepers are worth the risk. Untreated oak is the way to go I believe, it was good enough for the Mary Rose it should last well in this situation.
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  Thermo February 27, 2015 at 9:12pm

  If they are reclaimed sleepers then you will be prohibited from using them by a water course
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  Tim Bembridge February 28, 2015 at 3:36pm

  No embankment works can be undertaken adjacent to any river without first submitting plans to the Environment agency. We have had experience of this and its not overly straight forward. Its not just the impact of particular timber in the water, its about the affect that any wall will have on the flow of the river, as it may cause a knock on effect down stream, from erosion to flooding. Even green oak will release tannins into the water course. The potential liability of proceeding without permission is not worth it.
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  Peter Jones February 28, 2015 at 3:43pm

  Thanks Tim, permission will be arranged by the client. I'm just in the process of getting them the design and materials to be used so they can apply. When everything is agreed with the EA we can go ahead.
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  Jason Conway March 1, 2015 at 10:13am

  Cant you go for the recycled plastic sleeper? Theres a few companies who produce them but im not sure what the quality is like or if they look like sleeper.