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Sewage appears in children's playing field and farming land in Newington near Folkestone
10:40, 25 February 2021
updated: 13:43, 25 February 2021
Concerns have been raised over smelly sewage which has surfaced in a children's play area and farmer's field, effectively turning them into swamps.
Brown stagnant water was first spotted in the green next to the village hall, off The Street, in Newington, near Folketone, over a month ago.
It is also affecting farming land close by.
Residents say white trails run from the fields into the roads and into a water stream.
They say on some days the smell has been 'unbearable'.
Other than the erection of orange plastic fencing in the playing field, nothing appears to have been done to fix the issue, despite calls from residents to the council, Environment Agency and water companies.
Geoff Arnold, who lives in the village, said: "Nothing seems to have been done.
"We feel like we've been forgotten. Why have we not been contacted or signs erected advising what the hazards are?
"It’s now onto the children’s playground and across footpaths.
"White trails of 'who knows what' is running onto the road and then into fresh water."
A farmer, who did not want to be named, living in the village says one of his fields has been left resembling a 'swamp'.
He is growing concerned about the lack of action as he plans to put his sheep in the field in April for lambing season.
He said: "We've contacted Southern Water but have heard nothing back.
"My number is on the gates surrounding the field where the fence was put up, so why haven't we been contacted about what is going on?"
Southern Water say the issue stems from extreme rainfall over the winter which has raised the risk of ground water flooding across the region.
The firm is now using tankers to protect sewers and reduce the risk of flooding affecting homes and businesses
A spokesman for Southern Water said: "We’re sorry about the situation near the village hall.
"Following very heavy rain this winter, the ground in many areas is absolutely saturated and the pressure forces it into sewers and drains.
"After checks to ensure the sewer was unblocked, we have determined this the case here.
"We will be sending a tanker to help alleviate the situation as soon as possible.
"At the moment we have 50 tankers operating across the region and we are prioritising places where homes are in danger of flooding."
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “We have investigated the reports of leaks from sewers in Newington, and reported the matter to Southern Water Services.
“Southern Water Services have confirmed that high groundwater is infiltrating sewers and causing overflows from manholes. We are requiring them to keep us updated about how they intend to manage the issue.
“We ask members of the public to continue to report any pollution incidents to our hotline on 0800 80 70 60.”
