Heavy intake of rainwater causing sewage flooding in Slimbridge (From Gazette Series)

Heavy intake of rainwater causing sewage flooding in Slimbridge according to Severn Trent Water

8:40am Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News By Daniel Chipperfield

Sewage flooding on St John’s Road which ends up splashed onto nearby homes

AN INVESTIGATION into sewage problems that have plagued Slimbridge residents for years has discovered the foul water flow from the area is almost seven times more than it should be.

The nearby pumping station at Longaston Lane is receiving approximately eight litres a second on a dry day - when it should be around 1.4 litres a second, according to Severn Trent Water (STW).

Homes on St John’s Road in Slimbridge and in Ryalls Lane, Cambridge, suffer the unenviable sight, and smell, of sewage overflow in their gardens, patios and even in their homes when there is heavy rain.

At a meeting with Slimbridge Parish Council, Gloucestershire Highways, Stroud District Environmental Health and the Land Drainage Board on Wednesday, February 27, STW said they had found six points where rainwater was getting into the foul water system.

It was also identified that there were issues of water from brooks and ditches overflowing onto playing fields then out onto St John's Road.

STW said they had monitored the system for several days using CCTV and received feedback from homeowners, but asked residents to continue sending as much information as possible, including photos as and when incidents occurred.

STW representatives Lisa Russell and Craig Bayliss requested the next meeting be held off for at least six weeks but Slimbridge Parish Council chairman Philip Garrett requested a written update before March 23.

Slimbridge resident Tony Cope said he was not impressed with the amount of work carried out so far.

"They are still ducking and diving, when you think they have had over five weeks and all they have done is spend a couple of days on the drains in Slimbridge," he said.

"There was a lot of talk about ‘all working together’ but how does that come about? We are already trying to help by giving them all this information and maps with a list of people who are having problems.

"If Severn Trent Water have allowed surface water to enter it, we hold them responsible if the pipes cannot carry the volume in them, and sewage floods then occur."

After the meeting a STW spokesman said the work they had done had identified that there was a mixture of flooding problems.

"We can work to prevent sewer flooding, but we need to work alongside other organisations to understand the cause of the wider flooding issues," he said.

"Unfortunately there isn’t a quick fix to the issues with flooding in Slimbridge, but we’re really keen to work with everyone to find a solution for the community."