Southern Water is blasted for failing to act after Lymington woman’s home regularly floods with sewage
A LYMINGTON woman whose garden has flooded with sewage regularly for the last 18 years has blasted a lack of action by Southern Water.
Kerry Nelson, of Corbin Road, told the A&T the problem – which she thinks stems from drains further along the road – had never been addressed by the company. She said it only visits to clean up the mess left behind.
The most recent incident last month occurred while Kerry was out. On her return she saw sewage “pumping everywhere”. The issue also causes hers and neighbours’ toilets to block, meaning they cannot be flushed for “days”.
Kerry, a mother of five, said: “It’s disgusting - my garden is covered in excrement. I don’t want to go out in the garden now.
“This has been happening regularly for about 18 years, a minimum of three times a year. I kept thinking it would get fixed, but I have had enough.”
Kerry said the repeated incidents mean her garden is unable to be enjoyed. Plants, herbs, and an apple tree have been ruined by the sewage and she is also unable to keep her guinea pigs outside or let her dogs in the garden.
She added: “It is affecting my mental health now as well. It was bad enough when my kids were younger, now I can’t let my grandkids out there. It’s unacceptable.”
Commenting on the clean-up by Southern Water, Kerry added: “They cleaned the best they could, but I’m not happy mowing my grass with bits of sewage still on the ground.”
A spokesperson for Southern Water told the A&T: "We are aware of the situation at this address and have been in regular contact with the customer involved, last visiting to clean the garden area in May.
“Our teams have been working to locate blockages in the local area which could be causing these issues, but this is challenging as many pipes involved are privately owned.
“We understand the distress caused, and are working as fast as we can to help solve this. Blocked sewers are often caused by wet wipes, sanitary products and other ‘unflushable’ items such as fat, oil and grease entering the wastewater network.”
