Disgusting Kettering sewer pipe leak makes hospital workers heave

Anglian Water has apologised after a leak near KGH left workers and patients having to walk through revolting sewer pipe water.

The leak in Rothwell Road, on the pavement between the hospital and the railway bridge, was reported to the water firm about two weeks ago.

Since then workers have been out, cones and sandbags have been put down and ‘AW aware’ has been spray-painted on the pavement in blue.

But to date the problem is yet to be fixed and Anglian Water say they are still trying to find the location of the leak so they can repair it.

One KGH worker, who did not want to be named, said: "It makes me feel physically sick and I’m not the only one. All of my team have said the smell of it makes you heave.

"It splashes up your legs and cars splash it up at you when they drive past.”

The hospital worker said the water started trickling down the hill about six weeks ago and has got steadily worse and worse.

She said staff and patients who walk to the hospital have no choice but to walk through it.

She added: "It’s absolutely disgusting. It reeks and the whole pathway is completely covered. You can’t side-step around it.

"We are having to traipse through this sludge and it’s not acceptable."

An Anglian Water spokesman said: “Our teams are currently investigating a leak from a sewer pipe in the Rothwell Road area of Kettering.

"The team have been on-site all week and this will continue throughout the weekend. However, the leak isn’t coming from the pipe near to where it is visible on the surface of the road.

"Once the location of the leak has been found we will be repairing this as quickly as possible. The flooding is not causing any issues to the local watercourse which our teams are continually monitoring.

“We would like to apologise for any issues this is causing and would like to reassure residents that we are working hard to locate the leak.”