What a morning! Woken by next door neighbour who informed me that our drains were blocked and it wouldn't be long before the sewage was over the top and, well, you can guess the rest! So up quick, no breakfast, out to lift manhole covers and confirm that all three were up to the top. Now, as we are the lowest house in this area we always get it first so we checked with those opposite who hadn't gone to work and then investigated to find out whether the blockage was on private land or in the main sewer. (Did you know that from next year, new legislation will mean all properties having sewer problems will be able to call on the Severn Trent/South Staffs. to solve the problem - whether public or private sewers. At the moment, if the blockage is not in the main sewer, then you have to solve it and pay for it. Only if a blockage is on private land built before 1937 is the Water Authority responsible for clearing it at present free of charge.)
So out with the drainage rods, mine and my neighbours, and I rodded from my manhole just 3 metres from my boundary and then out into the road. I used 16 rods before I reached the main sewer where it came to a stop. Then went on the phone to the emergency number and after listening and tapping in numbers I eventually got a lady who listened to my problem and took down details. I had great difficulty in persuading her that the problem was in the main sewer as she repeatedly kept saying that as the sewer was on the opposite side of the road, then the house on that side would get a problem BEFORE me and they should phone up. I said "NO", our house and land is lower than theirs so, from previous experience, we get all the backup water and sewage BEFORE anyone else. In the end she said reluctantly, I thought, that they would investigate the main sewer ONLY but that it might be 24 hours before they got to us.
I said thank you - but not very enthusiastically - and started organising my campaign to get things done. Neighbours opposite phoned up and I got another neighbour (also affected) to phone as she is a Child Minder and the last thing you want is problems with toilets and sewers with young children in the house. By jove! - it worked - within an hour the Severn Trent Water van was outside with 2 very amiable and co-operate men. They listened to what I had to say, and then went about their work, explaining what they were doing and why. They had problems as it would appear that STW do not have accurate plans of where all the drains are and in fact they were unable to find where our drain goes to. However, with 100 metres of hose jetting the main sewer, it eventually solved the problem. Putting dye down to ascertain where the drain led to did not work. There seemed to be more storm drains in our road than sewer drains - "has a sewer manhole been buried somewhere?" one thinks.
They agreed with me that a thorough investigation is needed - with cameras - to trace where the sewer goes and where the continual blockages keep occurring. AND WE NEED MORE REGULAR SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE OF OUR PUBLIC SEWERS. WE ARE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE IF THE PROBLEM GETS WORSE.
But a big thank you to Daz and Keith from Severn Trent Water for being so cheerful and solving our problem in Haling Road this morning. I wish there were more people like them around.
Penkridge Town Crier
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