'Nightmare' garden sewage works make home smell

Melissa Stroud said she has to provide 24-hour access to the engineers

A woman who has had sewage pumped out of her garden for more than 150 days has said her house and car are starting to smell.

Thames Water has been carrying out repair works through a manhole on Melissa's Stroud's property in Pamber Heath, Hampshire, since June.

She said "a fountain of sewage went over her fence and on to the driveway" last month.

The utility company apologised for the incident and said: "We would like to reassure all residents that we are constantly reviewing if we can minimise the impact of the tankering."

Mrs Stroud has called the tankers parked outside her house in Oakfield Road an "absolute nightmare".

"Trucks come to our home, this disrupts family life, it's hard to hang out the washing," she said.

Because the nearest manhole cover to the repair is in her garden, she said she has to provide 24-hour access to the engineers.

"It's to allow them to drain the sewage out manually and it's a main sewer so it is pretty busy.

"I have technicians that come to my property, they don't always ring the doorbell but, that's fine," she added.

"I have no access to my garden and we have missed family celebrations."

Thames Water has apologised to Mrs Stroud and the other residents living on Oakfield Road.

"Due to the challenging geology of the area and the depth of the sewer, it was essential that we carried out extensive surveys to understand the nature of the repair required while also ensuring the safety of colleagues working at the site, the residents and homes in the area," the company said.

"Thames Water remains in weekly contact with Mrs Stroud and other residents to update them of the progress and we aim to begin the repair phase of this work on November 19 with a completion in February 2026."