Berkshire villagers play 'poolette' as sewage floods streets

People said "toilet paper and tampons" were coming up from manhole covers

Villagers affected by sewage running through the streets say they are having to play "Russian poolette" when taking their kids to school. 

Residents of Hampstead Norreys, Berkshire, said "toilet paper and tampons" were coming up from manhole covers.

Councillor Carolyne Culver said they had the same problem in 2014 and Thames Water should find a long-term solution.

The company said it had plans to upgrade local sewage treatment works.

"We've been playing Russian poolette," resident Susie Jenkins said

Rising groundwater levels have led to sewage flooding the streets, local residents said.

Susie Jenkins, who lives in Hampstead Norreys, said the problem had been going on for about three months.

"We've basically been playing Russian poolette for the last week, getting in and out of our cars and the potholes have made it worse," she said.

Ms Jenkins said they had "finally" seen action from Thames Water recently and that it was "a little bit better".

Stephen Miller uses a scraper to clean the clogged-up manhole on Water Street

Stephen Miller lives on Water Street where he gets "inundated with groundwater" when the sewers backflow into his inspection chamber.

"It gets very clogged up," he said.

"The manhole cover is right next to the river so I open up the gabions, take the stones out and fortunately, then let it flow into the river."

Councillor Carolyne Culver said Thames Water needed to invest in the problem "for the long-term"

Towns and villages across Berkshire have been facing multiple instances of raw sewage spilling into the streets and properties, most commonly as a result of high water levels.

Ms Culver, who is a Green Party councillor on West Berkshire Council, said residents of Hampstead Norreys were "really angry".

"People pay their water bills, they expect to have a system that works," she said.

"We had this problem in 2014 and we have this problem again 10 years later," Ms Culver said.

"It's time that Thames Water did something about this for the long-term.

"They need to make an investment, they can't keep coming up with excuses."

A Thames Water Spokesperson said: "We are working hard to make these discharges unnecessary and have published plans to upgrade over 250 of our sites, including our Hampstead Norreys sewage treatment works.

"This project will increase the treatment capacity of incoming sewage and reduce the need for overflows during wet weather."

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