Brambridge residents reach breaking point after months of flooding

Sewage started spewing into the gardens of Brambridge residents for the first time at the end of October. Flooding and unsanitary water from overflowing manholes has continued to ruin the gardens of three residents nearly every time there is sustained heavy rainfall.

Neighbours Margaret Hamilton, Rosie Taylor and Liza Moore, who live on the corner of Church Road and Highbridge Road, have pulled together, with the support of ward councillor Sue Cook, to keep fellow neighbours updated through a WhatsApp group and fight Southern Water for a long term solution.

READ MORE: Councillor slams Southern Water for flooding in Colden Common

Margaret, Rosie and Liza (Image: Newsquest)

Margaret, 70, tore her hamstring when trying to avoid the splash of sewage from a car passing by and now needs six months of rehabilitation.

She said: “I had to cancel all my Christmas parties because I was totally housebound after injuring myself running to avoid getting drenched.

“Sometimes no one comes out and other times it takes 24 to 48 hours. We thought the whole point of an emergency number is that they would do something.

“We’re not seeing an end to the problem. Southern Water should be talking to us, we’ve all written to them. There is no way I want sewage in our chalk stream but why we be impacted? They’ve just moved the problem.”

Liza, 52, put up ladders to climb over a neighbours’ fence as the safest route for her son to get to school.

She said: “They have essentially moved the problem from Kiln Lane to here and the sewage is still going in the river. The smell is horrendous.

“It happens every time it rains. It’s taking up so much of our time and it’s traumatic. Our gates have turned algae green. There has been so much water my glass bin floated half a mile down the road.

“If it’s not raining we then have tankers outside 24/7. We just someone to come and talk to us and own that there is a problem and tell us how they’re going to solve it. I just want a quiet life.”

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Rosie, 36, has had to carry her dog to her car to avoid the contaminated water and take the dog for a walk.

@hampshire_chronicle Poor residents in Brambridge, Colden Common have had to deal with flooding and sewage for four weeks. #stormhenk #flooding ♬ original sound - Hampshire Chronicle

She said: “It’s been all consuming. We are late for work because you have to phone Southern Water and then you get put on hold for ages. We’re constantly worried. I’m sleep deprived and really anxious.

“The engineers that the problem would back up here when they fixed Kiln Lane. The water backs up so much that it gets into a pipe in my house and I can’t use my water. Southern Water put me up in a hotel for two nights, but only after two months of phoning up.

“Trying to get hold of them has been a battle but we’re not going to give up. We felt really helpless before Sue (Cllr Cook) got involved.”

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In Rosie's garden (Image: Contributed)

Margaret added that Rosie’s house has been “completely unliveable”.

The residents have been supported by Colden Common Parish Council which is encouraging villagers to report any incidents to them and Southern Water.

Cllr Cook said: “It’s been a living hell for them. We need to make sure that this problem doesn’t continue to control the lives of these residents.”

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “Our network in Brambridge has been overwhelmed with groundwater and rainwater in recent months. Our teams have been working around the clock in the area to protect both the River Itchen and customers from flooding. 

“We have set up a number of nurse tanks at Highbridge Road to alleviate this pressure as we continue explore a longer-term solution that can protect customers and the River Itchen.”