Grimston continues to have sewage problems despite £1.1m engineering works
One of the worst spots for sewage incidents in Norfolk has been blighted by fresh problems despite £1.1m engineering works to improve the situation.
Wastewater once again spewed out of a problem sewer in Grimston, flooding Watery Lane – which has had problems for at least 20 years – for a number of hours before flowing into a rare chalk stream.
Poo and matter such as sanitary products and toilet paper could be seen bubbling out of a manhole cover linked to a pipe that transports waste from the village of Gayton to a pumping station.
It follows a major project to tackle the ongoing issues in Grimston, which Anglian Water engineers say is a complex problem caused by multiple factors, with more work to solve the issue continuing to be underway.
The recent incident happened on Thursday with locals saying a chalk stream which is a tributary of the Gaywood River may have been affected by pollution.
Mark Dye, a spokesman for Gaywood River Revival – a group campaigning to protect the river – said: “This latest sewage spill is really disappointing given all the work in Autumn, lining pipes in Grimston to prevent ingress water.
“With that having taken place and yesterday’s rainfall far from excessive, it once again points to a system already at capacity and unable to cope with heavy rainfall.
“It certainly suggests that plans to build more houses in Grimston, Pott Row and Roydon are premature and that the underlying infrastructure needs updating first.”
Rob Colwell, a county councillor for Gaywood, said: “Absolutely disgusting and unacceptable. We were led to believe that action was being taken over the last 12 months.”
‘NORFOLK’S WORST SPOT FOR SEWAGE’
Grimston and the wider Pott Row and Gayton area pose a big challenge for Anglian Water.
There are frequent problems with sewage and flooding, caused by a complex range of issues, with senior engineers calling it one of the most difficult locations in the county.
It has left people unable to use their toilets and people having to walk through wastewater to get to their homes.
Last year’s prolonged extreme rainfall caused significant problems, exacerbated by persistent high groundwater levels over several months.
Anglian Water says the problems in the catchment are caused by misconnections from properties pouring water into the sewer system, infiltration from surface water, road and agricultural run-off and the unique geography of the low-lying area.
It has conducted several investigations to identify potential solutions and it is an ongoing task.
A huge amount of work has gone into improving the situation, which includes the relining of sewers using innovative technology to help prevent the ingress of surface water.
Due to the complexities of the work, it is a time-consuming process, taking most of a day to complete a small section of relining.
A spokeswoman for Anglian Water said: “Our teams were on site monitoring the situation as soon as we became aware of the discharge yesterday, and we had tankers on-site immediately, taking excess water away to protect homes as well as the environment.
“Since last winter we have been working in Grimston to try and help alleviate these issues. Our teams have already relined parts of the sewer network to prevent groundwater infiltration.
“Next month we will begin work to remove various surface water misconnections from the surrounding area to stop excess rainwater getting into our sewers from road drains and guttering, and we will continue our work with the local community to install sustainable urban drainage systems in homes, again to divert water away from our network.
“Because there are so many factors at play, it is a process of elimination, rather than an easy fix, but we’re committed to continue our work in the area to further protect the environment.”
