16th December 2005

Thursday 15th December saw raw sewage again leaking into the Ruscombe brook, this time from a manhole by the Randwick tributary of the brook in the fields below the Randwick playing fields.

 
The group have reported over 8 incidents since their conference at Ebley Mill in September, four at least of them have been very serious with considerable raw sewage escaping into the brook but this is the first this year reported in the Randwick tributary.

View incidents at: http://www.rbag.org.uk/incidents.asp

 
Photos below:

15th Dec: Randwick tributary
15th Dec: Monster tractor with 10 tonne trailer to unblock pipes
12th Nov: manhole in field opposite Archway School
17th Nov: pipe and chamber collapse

 
Philip Booth, Secretary of the Ruscombe Brook Action Group who has attended and photographed many of the incidents for the groups website, said: "In this incident the contractors only managed to start work after 10.00 pm and it seems considerable amounts of sewage have again got into the brook. Only last month a whole concrete manhole chamber and piping collapsed into the brook and in another place a manhole cover lifted. Both these incidents led to considerable raw sewage escaping into the brook and fields."

Philip Booth who lives in Bread Street between Ruscombe and Randwick said: "This is no joke: raw sewage is very dangerous and not only do children play near the brook which backs onto several schools but also cattle use the fields."

Julia Currie, whose land has been repeatedly contaminated said: "This latest incident will make grazing cattle very difficult unless clean water can be guaranteed."

Philip Booth said: "Severn Trent have been good at responding to the incidents and we are hoping we can work with them to find a solution. We've written to request a meeting but have not yet received a reply to that request. We have a number of concerns like their plans to bolt down manhole covers could lead to pressures and problems in other sections of this antiquated sewage system. We would much prefer them to consider soft engineering solutions like reed beds that can contain these problems."