River of raw sewage is pouring down our road

Angry and disgusted homeowners say the force of the foul water was enough to lift the drain cover off and send a river of raw sewage pouring down Highwell Lane in Bromyard.

Neighbours had already complained to Welsh Water and environmental health officers at Herefordshire Council after problems started on Sunday, October 5.

Jayne Jones, aged 50, said the rancid water had collected in a pool two inches deep in the lane and included excrement, sanitary towels and toilet paper. Mother-of-two Mrs Jones said a temporary pump to get rid of the water was not working properly.

She said: “It’s running down the lane and into a field and no one is doing anything about it. People are walking through it and into their homes. If I go down to the bottom of my garden, it stinks.

“My neighbour’s mother says the smell is making her feel ill. Environmental health have said there’s nothing they can do.

“It’s like a fountain and it’s still bubbling out. It’s appalling. I’m fed up.”

Her neighbour Barbara Dukes, aged 60, has also called Welsh Water five times to complain about the leak, which is not far from Highwell House Residential and Nursing Home and is used by nurses from the local hospital. A pump has been fitted to get rid of the sewage but Mrs Jones said it is not working well enough.

Mrs Jones said people are concerned the filth could be spread to hospitals and nursing homes.

She blames overdevelopment in the area and says the sewage system cannot cope. A spokesman for Welsh Water said: “We were alerted to an incident in Highwell Road, Bromyard, last week.

“A team attended and found a collapse further along the sewer network causing the problem.

“A temporary pump has been installed to relieve the pressure on the network until we are able to repair the sewer. Unfortunately, there has been a problem with the pump which has caused continued flooding.

“We hope to repair the collapsed sewer in the next few days and are monitoring the pump in the meantime.”