Sewage spill in Burghclere and tankers removing sewage due to mains failure

Thames Water spokesman, Craig Rance, confirmed sewage had been tankered away from Burghclere since Sunday November 11, due to a problem with a sewer main connecting a pumping station in Burghclere, to treatment works.
The pumping station, he added, was situated at the junction of Ayres Lane and Earlstone Common, leading to the Clere School, while the cause of the mains sewer problem had not yet been identified.
A spillage of wastewater sewage, he continued, had occurred into a drainage ditch - which emptied into a nearby pond, situated in a wooded area north west of the pumping station.
The drainage ditch and pond, he said had not been fenced off to members of the public: “It was very minor and we've been monitoring the pond to check pollutant levels and they are all satisfactory,” said Mr Rance.
Thames Water have been unable to say when the sewer main problem in Burghclere would be resolved and the tankers therefore no longer required.
“We're working on a long term solution,” said Mr Rance.
Thames Water have stressed the tankers being used in Burghclere are unrelated to Thames Water tankers currently on standby as a precautionary measure at The Chase in Woolton Hill.
The tankers were sent by Thames Water, the authority has confirmed, to The National Trust owned property, The Chase, and are on standby to prevent any further sewage spills at the beauty spot, due to heavy rain.
The National Trust confirmed this morning (Thursday) there were currently no sewage spills at The Chase, after reports of tankers seen at the site.
The Chase was closed for two weeks in September following a sewage leak at the site, the third in recent years, the worst of which was in July 2006 and which killed thousands of fish.