Letter: Our Sewers Cannot Cope with More Homes

Published on: 14 Mar, 2025
Updated on: 14 Mar, 2025

Sewer Pipes being cleaned Wikipedia

From Jim Allen

It’s obviously time to stop occupation of all new builds until the new Guildford Sewage treatment works is fully functioning.

Why does no one listen?

In 2010 I was told I was “singing from the wrong hymn sheet”. My song was, “What are you going to do with the lack of treatment capacity between now and the new sewage treatment plant opening?”

But I was fobbed off with, “Don’t worry little man you don’t know what you are talking about.”

In 2013, at Bowers Mill House, Christmas dinner was accompanied with a sewage tanker pumping out at their front door!

In 2016, Thames Water knew the lift pump at Woking Road was not coping with the load at that time, almost ten years ago.

In 2017, the personal equivalent (PE) capacity of 89,820pe was being exceeded at 92,900pe and increasing ever since (including the student flats in Walnut Tree Close – one personal equivalent per student bed).

Also in 2017, the blocked syphon under the Wey Navigation was “discovered” after 40-years of failed maintenance and was cleared after 33 days of blockage.

In 2023 a leak in a rising main that had corroded over 20 years, was discovered under the A3.

It was admitted that the sewage was backing up into the Burpham main sewer, as the lowest on the system.

Because the old sewage works could not cope sewage was being transported by tanker to another location (although that now appears to have stopped or been drastically reduced).

In order to inspect a rising main a “washout chamber” located near to me had to be emptied. The sewage in it was pumped  into a tanker and then emptied into the gravity main in Bowers Lane. It then went into the tank in Woking where it was, under the laws of gravity, syphoned back into the washout chamber! This clearly demonstrated how little some of the engineers understand about the system.

In February this year it was admitted by the Environment Agency (EA) to Thames Water (TW) at the Burpham flood forum that Lawrence Close pumping station was causing ‘leakage’ through a neighbouring manhole into Merrow Stream and then into the Wey Navigation.

In March,  it was disclosed to the owner of Bowers Mill House. When their sewer pipe was “backed up”. They were told that the Lawrence Close pump could not cope at times of heavy rain.  But it is a gravity system and Bowers Mill House is below the pump at Lawrence Close.

As a result, Bowers Mill House is being back flooded from Woking Road, and there is flooding at Lawrence Close because Burpham and Merrow has nowhere for the foul water to go.

All these facts are known to be provably true, although they are mostly denied by Thames Water publicity department. But it is time someone listens and accepts the truth.

The sewer system serviced by the Guildford sewer treatment plant is, in effect, permanently flooded. It is no longer fit for purpose and no new properties should be added to the works until the new works come online in 2026.

The current situation is contravening the Water Industry Act 1991, section 94 General duty to provide sewerage system.

“It shall be the duty of every sewerage undertaker:

• to provide, improve and extend such a system of public sewers (whether inside its area or elsewhere) and so to cleanse and maintain those sewers [and any lateral drains which belong to or vest in the undertaker] as to ensure that that area is and continues to be effectually drained; and
• to make provision for the emptying of those sewers and such further provision (whether inside its area or elsewhere) as is necessary from time to time for effectually dealing, by means of sewage disposal works or otherwise, with the contents of those sewers.”

Believe me, the next heavy rains will result in more overflows from pipes or manholes in Burpham.

But then what would I know? I’m sure they still think I’m singing from the wrong hymn sheet. Of course, the hymn I’ll take no pleasure in singing is, “I told you so!”

See also: BBC Documentary Expected to Lift the Lid on Thames Water

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