Disgust as sewage flows past south Warwickshire home during downpours
RAW sewage floating in Main Street, Cherington, has left one resident feeling sick from the stench caused by a ‘constant stream’ running past her front door.
Barbara Babbage and her husband Peter, who moved into their dream home two years ago, said they are plagued by raw sewage every time there’s heavy rain. This can include sanitary items and toilet paper which, they say, floats right next to their home at Cherington Mill before draining off into the nearby River Stour and heading towards Shipston.
Barbara said she often posts warnings on social media telling Shipston the sewage is “heading your way”.
“The flooding in the street makes you feel really sick,” Barbara told the Herald. “I think it’s a health hazard for kids and dog walkers.
“In this day and age we shouldn’t have to deal with this. It smells in the summer and attracts flies. When it rains heavily it floods all over the place. When I take my dogs for a walk I have to leave via the back door and walk to the fields behind my house because it’s not safe to walk in the street at the front.”
She said tanks, which are maintained by Severn Trent, simply aren’t big enough to hold the sewage when there’s a large downpour and the drainage system completely floods. She also believes a recent planning proposal for eight affordable new houses in Cherington will only exacerbate the problem.
“I don’t mind new houses being built but there must be the infrastructure in place that can cope with the increased sewage demand,” she said. “We have been here for two years but the problem has been going on an awful lot longer before we arrived. The existing tanks just aren’t big enough.”
Barbara said she has called Severn Trent numerous times since December 2021, and met with Severn Trent engineers when they turn up in Main Street to clear up the mess.
“Recently they had a tanker outside all day emptying the holding tank at least eight times, but again it’s only a short-term fix as the system cannot cope with the sewage and there’s no way it can cope when it rains,” she said. “We’ve even had raw sewage coming up through three manhole covers and onto the road where pedestrians, children and dogs walk, right outside my house - it’s disgusting.”
She added: “Two engineers advised the system was just not made for the load, especially with all the houses that keep being built. They rang their office and asked for jet -blasting equipment to be sent out to clear the sewage works and for tankers to take away the sewage in the holding tank. They said it would only be a temporary fix because as soon it rains it will keep happening again as the sewage alone is too much for the system and with run-off water there is no way it can cope.”
Barbara continued: “Cherington Mill was still a working flour mill in 1975. The scenic beauty of the area includes fields and orchards. We often watch otters, deer, kingfishers, herons, egrets, owls, woodpeckers, toads, grass snakes and many other species living on our land. The environment and wildlife needs to be protected from the sewage as well.”
A Severn Trent spokesperson said: “We apologise to our customers that have been affected by the external flooding on Main Street in Cherington Mill, as we know this isn’t a nice thing to experience.
“When we were contacted about the external flooding over the bank holiday weekend our teams attended the site and found the system to be at full capacity due to the recent heavy rain. We used tankers to help the system cope with the volume of flow, and to ensure the area wasn’t flooding any further. We also conducted a clean-up of the area.
“We want to reassure everyone that we’re working hard to investigate what we can do to solve the problem in the short and long-term.”
