Resident 'depressed' by 70 days of sewage works

Melissa Stroud wants Thames Water to "acknowledge and compensate the severe disruption to life"

A woman who has had sewage pumped out of her back garden for the last 70 days is asking for compensation from a water company.

Thames Water has been conducting sewer repair work outside the home of Melissa Stroud, in Oakfield Road in Pamber Heath, Hampshire.

Mrs Stroud, who has not been able to open her windows due to the smell, said the tankers pumped 50,000 litres of sewage from the drain in her garden "every single day, several times a day".

Thames Water apologised and said it was committed to progressing repairs "as quickly and safely as possible".

Mrs Stroud said she felt like there was "no end in sight".

"They're just doing their job and I'm grateful for that but the disruption to our day to day life is just horrible," she said.

She said on Saturday, work was ongoing for almost seven and a half hours with the engines running, "pumping fumes from sewage and diesel" directly into her home.

The tankers "come and go all hours of the day and night" making a "terrible noise" and making it difficult to leave their home," Mrs Stroud said.

She also said Thames Water had not provided any formal communication with her since the start of July.

"We are not the priority," she said.

Mrs Stroud is calling for the water firm to provide regular updates on the work and to "acknowledge and compensate the severe disruption to life".

The works have been ongoing for 70 days

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Liberal Democrat Councillor for Tadley and Pamber Jo Slimin described the smell as "dreadful".

She said: "No resident should ever be placed in this situation, it's hot and obviously it's really, really bad.

"Thames Water could do an awful lot better.

"We're talking about a national organisation that's currently struggling with funding but it's not an excuse for poor customer service, not an excuse for not responding to people."

Mrs Stroud said it is difficult to leave home when the tankers are there

A Thames Water spokesperson said: "We sincerely apologise for the disruption being caused by our sewer repair work in Oakfield Road.

"The repairs have proven more complex than initially anticipated due to the ground conditions, proximity to properties and the depth of the sewer.

"The situation is currently under review to determine the best way forward.

"To protect our customers and minimise the risk of flooding, we are using tankers to carefully manage wastewater flows during this time."