Residents of Hambledon have expressed their dismay at the problems they are still facing with sewage flooding, nearly four months after the first incident took place last November.
Thames Water are currently tankering at the Hambledon pumping station with two of their tankers in attendance around 16 hours every day – but fed up neighbours are asking for a long-term solution to be found.
One of the residents spoke in the Henley Standard. She said that unless she checks that her drains outside her house are clear she’s unable to use the shower or the toilet because the sewers just can’t cope. She has started a petition, which already has over 500 signatures. She said in The Standard:
“I am hoping this local petition will encourage people who have lived in the area for a lot longer to come forward with the history behind these issues. The previous owner of my house experienced similar flooding in 2003 so it’s not a new problem.”
A spokesperson for Thames Water said:
“The main issue is the failure of the natural drainage system — rivers and groundwater — caused by the wettest year on record in England. This problem has been added to by a blockage in a sewer at Hambleden. We cleared this blockage overnight last Monday.
“We sympathise deeply with people affected by these problems. Where our customer service has fallen short, we are also sorry.”