Faversham residents ‘sprayed with disgusting sewage’
17:34, 26 February 2024
updated: 11:47, 29 February 2024
Furious residents are said to have been splattered with sewage overflowing onto roads prompting health and safety concerns.
Pedestrians have reportedly been “drenched” with effluent sprayed from car tyres in Whitstable Road, Faversham, sparking calls for action.
Swale Borough councillor Hannah Perkins (Lib Dem), who represents Abbey Ward, says her 11-year-old child has also been soaked with sewage water.
She says it is the second time waste has risen from the sewers in a month, with some residents becoming “drenched” in spray.
It comes as high winds and heavy rain have brought chaos for motorists, with one driver having his car crushed by a tree in Folkestone.
“It’s been coming up for about 24 hours,” she told KentOnline.
“I’ve had residents ring me this week who have been drenched with sewage which is pretty disgusting.
“All the pipes in the area are old and Victorian, there’s a lot of pressure on them at the moment.
“With all the new builds, the existing sewage system has a lot to cope with.”
She called on relevant water firms to address the issue as soon as possible, adding: “I've contacted the Environment Agency about this too as people shouldn't have to worry about being sprayed with sewage on their way to work or school."
She said the district council is urging sewage firms to work closely with officers to help find solutions.
In a Tweet to Southern Water, she wrote: “Hi, there is currently sewage leaking onto the road in Whitstable road in Faversham.
“Would it be possible for this to be looked at ASAP as cars are diving through it and soaking pedestrians including my 11-year-old.”
Having pinpointed the Southern to the manhole’s exact location, a spokesman said: “ Thank you for letting us know.
“I have raised this for an inspector to attend within the next 5 days.”
Southern was fined £90 million in July 2021 after dumping colossal amounts of raw sewage into the sea for years.
The company unleashed up to 21 billion litres into protected waters - the equivalent of more than 700 Olympic swimming pools.
It announced in October that year £2 million would be invested in improving the water quality of Faversham Creek. The firm said it would splash the cash on the Faversham Wastewater Treatment Works over the next four years to improve capacity, efficiency and reduce the number of raw sewage discharges.
A Southern Water spokesperson said: “Our team visited the site yesterday, Monday 26 Feb, and investigated the manhole cover in Abbeyfields Road in Faversham.
“Our engineers found no signs of chambers spilling or pollution, and the underground sewer network was also flowing freely.”
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