Thames Water sorry after poo leaked into Oxfordshire home

A Sutton Courtenay householder, who asked not to be named, said he has been enduring sewage invading his land and the surrounding footpaths for the past five years.

This has now prompted the UK’s largest water company to apologise.

A spokesperson said: “We apologise to residents of Sutton Courtenay who have experienced sewer flooding due to water ingress that has been caused by the heavy rain the county experienced at the beginning of the year. 

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“Sutton Courtenay is highly susceptible to sewer flooding and flooding in general due to a combination of factors including its location in a low-lying valley, extremely high groundwater levels and runoff which then contribute to hydraulic overload.  

“Following reports of sewer flooding, our teams have historically and continue to attend the area to investigate the source of the problem as soon as it is reported.”

Sewage discharged along the path and into a neighbouring property in Sutton Courtenay (Image: Public)

This comes after the man said that when it rains he “always gets foul smelling liquid spurting up through the manhole cover which leaves raw sewage in the road and on the paths and in my drive”.

Villagers have also had a major discharge when it hadn’t rained, and he said that locals often have to clean toilet paper and other objects from the village path.

Speaking in March, he added: “I regularly get raw sewage pouring out of the manhole cover polluting the footpaths and pouring into my property.”

Sewage discharged along the path and into a neighbouring property in Sutton Courtenay (Image: Public)

The man claims the issues began five years ago when Thames Water connected some new houses to the sewage system outside his property.

The road still bears the marks of Thames Water’s work with the man calling it a “nightmare”.

He added: “These shouldn’t have been connected under this manhole cover as it also the point where a pump station connects.

“They should have connected it elsewhere or spent the money to widen the sewage pipe.

A recent overflow from the Sutton Courtenay manhole (Image: Public)

“Thames Water state that there is nothing that can be done as it’s just due to heavy rain. 

“However it happens when it hasn’t been raining and surely, it’s not right that sewage should squirt up out of the manhole cover.”

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Thames Water pointed out that development matters ultimately fall within the local authority’s remit but said they were looking at a longer-term solution.

The spokesperson added: “For the time being to mitigate flooding and protect homes and the environment, the village is currently on a recurring maintenance regime for sewer cleaning.

“This ensures our assets remain free of debris and other materials so if any issues occur, they can be addressed promptly.

“To date, no blockages have been identified. However, due to the complexity of the issue investigations will continue to identify a long-term solution.”