Couple left out of pocket as sewage spill ‘ruins’ garden

A RETIRED couple whose garden was flooded with untreated sewerage is in a battle with a water company to have it reinstated.

Clare Talbot, of Green Lane in Sonning Common, was in her garden when she suddenly noticed sewage coming out of her kitchen gully on April 29.

The spill was caused by Thames Water contractors working in the neighbouring street, who were blasting water down a manhole attempting to clear a “fatberg”.

The incident left Mrs Talbot’s front garden covered in a crust of dried sewage, which wasn’t removed until two and a half weeks later.

Mrs Talbot and her husband Malcolm have now been told by Thames Water that it would not pay for their garden to be reinstated.

They have now been instructed to fill out a “customer guarantee scheme” form to claim for the damage, which they say provides no guarantee they will be compensated. The couple have been told to expect a decision by the end of the month.

If their claim is unsuccessful, they would have to fund the reinstatement themselves or pay an insurance excess, which they worry would push their premium up.

Mrs Talbot said: “They told us all along that they would clean it up but that they would not reinstate the garden — how they can do that I don’t know.

“We got a letter direct from Thames Water spelling it all out. They said they would definitely come and remove all of the spoil from the garden but then went to quite a long length to explain that they weren’t responsible for what people put down the drains.”

Mrs Talbot, a former garden designer, had planted her garden four years ago with flowers including rose bushes, poppies, agapanthus, hydrangeas and daylilies.

The cost of reinstating the garden was estimated to be £1,000, including a builder’s bag of shingle, weed membrane and labour costs.

Mrs Talbot said: “I can’t tell you how ghastly and stressful this has all been. I think it’s outrageous. There we were minding our own business and suddenly they have ruined it.

“I don’t see how they can say, ‘I’ll clear it up but I won’t make it good’. To me, the two go together.”

Thames Water has apologised and said the flooding was caused by a blockage, caused by fat, oil and grease.

A spokeswoman added: “Our teams cleaned up the infected areas at the rear of the property. Due to complexities surrounding the clean-up at the front, further discussions were needed. A plan was put in place on how best to approach this work.”