Camberley sewage stench issue one of worst, says watchdog

The Camberley sewage works had raw waste stored in open tanks in 2023

The smell caused by sewage stored in open tanks in Camberley, Surrey, was "one of the worst" such incidents ever seen, according to a watchdog.

The Consumer Council for Water (CCW) said all water companies could learn lessons about the incident at the Riverside Way treatment works.

It arose after 200 tankers of sewage sludge were moved to the site in 2023.

Thames Water apologised and is in negotiations about contributing to local community projects.

Cath Jones, head of company engagement for CCW, told BBC Radio Surrey better planning was needed from Thames Water before bringing in the sludge to the site.

She described the incident as "horrific", and added: "It was one of the worst incidents that I think we've seen because of the longevity and such wide effect.

"It's really insidious. It starts off as a smell, but it's had a huge impact."

She said all water companies could learn lessons from it.

The tanks, now decommissioned, had sewage sludge brought to them from February 2023.

When warmer weather arrived in the summer the smell got so bad residents said they could not go into their gardens or open their windows.

A borough councillor said she had heard of house sales falling through as well as residents feeling isolated and not wanting to invite friends over because of the stench.

'We didn't risk assess properly'

Ian Ruffell, Thames Water's head of waste water treatment, described it as a "rising tide incident" which got progressively worse through the summer.

He said: "We didn't risk assess this properly, we should have had the right controls in place initially to understand the impact better, and to better communicate with the community as well."

Surrey Heath borough councillor Lisa Finan-Cooke said the apology, though late, was welcome, adding that a gift to the community would acknowledge the impact on residents.

She said: "The areas that were affected are home to two of the most deprived areas of Surrey Heath, and those people certainly deserve better than what they've received so far."

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].