Sewage leak causes a stink in Climping

People in Climping Street were left with a foul smell in their noses after a combination of heavy rainfall and deteriorating piping led to raw effluent bubbling out from a drain just yards from their homes.

The spillage took place on Monday, last week, and was still being treated by contractors on Thursday, who used pumping equipment and tankers to remove sewage which had also oozed into parts of the Ryebank Rife and adjacent farmland.

Jon Shorrock, owner of Derwent House Bed and Breakfast, lives just feet away from the overflowing drain.

He said: “The whole road smelt of you-know-what. It was absolutely disgusting.

“We have had large yellow tankers here pumping away the sewage non-stop, for hours at a time.

“A lot of it has spilled into the rife, which they have been forced to get rid of. The current situation is detrimental to public health and it’s a complete disgrace.”

The Environment Agency has since been alerted about the incident and its officers made an assessment of the contaminated rife and agricultural land. A spokesman said although the stream had been affected, the impact on the nearby River Arun was minimal.

Southern Water has apologised for the overflow and said that it was making every effort to address the issue.

However, Mr Shorrock, who has lived in the village for almost 30 years with his wife Julia, claims this wasn’t the first time villagers have had to cope with drainage problems.

He added that with an increasing population in the area, the problem would only get worse.

A Southern Water spokesman said: “The burst, in a farmer’s field, was quickly isolated and the sewer has since been repaired.

“Regrettably, though, some of the wastewater had already flowed into the nearby 
Ryebank Rife and the Environment Agency was made aware of this. While the repair was underway, flows were tankered away to our Ford Wastewater Treatment Works – enabling people to continue using facilities such as sinks and toilets. We apologise for any disturbance this tankering operation may have caused to people living nearby.”