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Floods wreak homes misery

By Emiko Priest on Thursday, 8th August 2002.

HEAVY rain has heaped misery upon Haverhill residents after a series of floods which has left sewage running through the town.
Drains have become blocked, sewage is running down roads and people are frustrated no-one will take responsibility for the problem.
Mabon Dane, a town councilor for the Chalkstone area, was contacted by residents in Girton Road and Quendon Place, which has suffered badly.
“When I went round to Girton Road it was a total disaster scene. Water was coming out of all the drains, drain covers had been forced off. there was sewage going across the paths,” he said.
“Something is seriously wrong. I’m asking for an investigation. The party who is negligent for this should be paying for damage to properties.”
Kim Garner, 35. of Girton Road, said: “Every time it rains my garden is flooded from top to bottom. Since Sunday, it’s happened four times and the garden is just a pond.
“I rang Anglia Water and they said it is nothing to do with them, it is to do with the council. They are passing the buck back from one another.”
Derek Andrews, 63, who lives a few doors away, had his kitchen flooded.
“Sewage is seeping into my kitchen, from under, and on Sunday it actually came up to my

front room door. There’s still raw sewage in my garden.”
Around the corner in Rushmere Place, one home was completely flooded downstairs and reportedly had to bail water out.
Ceri Belenger, 28, who also lives there, said she was told by the borough council there were no sandbags.
“The council is not prepared. Their advice was flour or rice in a pillow case. It’s a nightmare and it’s going to happen again.
“We’ve a foot of water in the garden and raw sewage. There’s everything from sanitary towels to toilet paper floating down the road.”
Haverhill Leisure Centre in Eringhausen Way was also affected as was the Ipswich Building Society in the High Street.
Anglia Water said they had not had reports from anyone in the Girton Road area.
A spokesperson for St Edmundsbury Borough Council said: “Rain of such intensity can lead to drains getting blocked. We have sent out galley emptiers which are cleaning out the gulleys and connections to the sewers, but unblocking of the sewers is the responsibility of Anglia Water.
“We clean our drains regularly in line with the national code. The sheer volume of water overwhelmed the drains.”


Haverhill Weekly News

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