Dodgy sewer connection causes smelly 'wastewater' to spill into Kettering river
Dodgy sewer connections have been blamed for smelly 'wastewater' spilling into a Kettering tributary of the River Nene.
Residents noticed the smell in the Slade Brook that runs along much of Northfield Avenue in the town about two weeks ago.
A tanker contracted by Anglian Water has been stationed in Meadow Park, close to a culvert that runs into the brook, and has been pumping wastewater from a dammed section to prevent further contamination.
The brook continues under Northfield Avenue, crosses beneath Northampton Road and leads into KLV Lake.
An Anglian Water spokesman said: “Our teams are currently conducting tanker operations in the Meadow Road Park area of Kettering to assist with a third-party misconnection to the surface water system, where wastewater has incorrectly entered the network designed to carry surface water only.
“As a precautionary measure, tankers are being used to help manage the situation and take away wastewater in order to protect the local environment while those responsible work to resolve the issue.
"We will continue to work with the relevant parties and provide support to minimise any impact on the community.”
After being alerted to the sewage entering Slade Brook, the company ‘immediately’ launched an investigation to identify the source of the pollution.
Their enquiries found that a number of businesses had incorrectly connected their wastewater systems into surface water sewers, resulting in sewage discharging into the brook.
Mitigation measures taken by Anglian Water include tankers with a 19,000 litre (4,180 gallons) capacity at the site to stop any ongoing pollution.
A spokesman said: “We remain committed to safeguarding local watercourses, improving water quality and restoring the environmental condition of Slade Brook as quickly as possible."