Plea for a solution after raw sewage floods family's garden

Costessey residents Beryl Hill and Gemma Rowling, who live in Olive Road, said it is the second time it has happened in 18 months.

Anglian Water says a build up of fats, oils, greases and other unflushables was the cause of sewage escaping from the manhole.

Olive Road in Costessey. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

Mrs Hill, who has lived on the road for 38 years, said both times it has covered the £3,000 astroturf her late husband had installed, and that she was concerned for her dog and grandchildren to play on it due to any contamination seeping into the ground.

Anglian Water said when blockages were caused by unflushables, customers were advised to speak to their own insurance companies. A contractor has been organised to clean Mrs Hill's astroturf.

Mrs Hill said: "This is Anglian Water's drain, if it was my personal drain then that's my fault.

"It can't happen again. Everybody's toilet, the whole road's, is coming into my garden."

The mum-of-three added: "The toilet was so full we couldn't flush it as it would of then flooded our bathroom. I explained my concerns [to Anglian Water] and was told notes would be made and hopefully a call within 24 hours but worst case five days."

Beryl Hill's garden in Costessey which has been ruined by raw sewage. Picture: Danielle Booden (Image: Archant 2021)

She said she understood that there was flooding in the area, and that houses with internal flooding were the priority, but said with young children and animals around she wanted it to be sorted as soon as possible.

She said at its worst the family was having to jump over puddles or walk through it.

Miss Rowling added: "I have major concerns this will happen again and think that Anglian Water need to address that there quite clearly is a problem with this drainage."

Francesca Bolingbroke and John Amis, district councillor for New Costessey, helped the residents contact the company, which arrived to clean the drain on Saturday.

An Anglian Water spokesman said: "We will soon be a completing a CCTV survey and clean of the sewer pipes to ensure there is no debris left in the pipes and to ensure they are working as they should."

Gemma Rowling, who lives in Olive Road, Costessey, said within one day her family had to jump over the puddles or walk through it. (Image: Gemma Rowling)