Raw sewage forces family to flee home (From Daily Echo)
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Freemantle family flee as raw sewage floods home
1:30pm Wednesday 8th February 2012 in Southampton
Maria Swain with her children Liam, Michaela, Jamie, Robbie and Calum.
A FAMILY has been left homeless after raw sewage flooded their house.
The Swains were today coming to terms with losing thousands of pounds worth of clothes and electrical equipment after untreated human waste gushed into their converted basement.
Southern Water said “nappies and fat deposits” had blocked a nearby sewer and caused the waste to back up into the property, in Cliff Road, Freemantle.
Devastated mum Maria, 40, said one of her children alerted her to a gurgling noise and a smell in the basement floor.
She said: “By the time we got downstairs it was like a river had burst its banks.”
Within seconds it filled the basement toilet and bedroom belonging to brothers Calum, 14, and Jamie, 17, trashing all their prized electronic goods.
Jamie said he also lost £800 in cash which he received for selling his motorbike.
It also destroyed Calum’s GCSE coursework.
Maria ran outside to warn Southern Water engineers working on drains what was happening.
“I was screaming at them saying ‘It is coming up! It is coming up! I thought it was going to take over the other floor as well,” she said.
The family were forced to abandon their home to stay with relatives.
“My kids have only the clothes they are standing up in. It is like there has been an earthquake and a mudslide. It is disgusting,” said Mrs Swain.
A Southern Water spokesman apologised for the disruption and distress caused by the incident.
He said: “Initial investigations indicate that the incident was the result of a blockage caused by a build-up of debris such as nappies and fat deposits in the sewer.
“Our team are on site dealing with the situation and liaising directly with the family affected.”
Alternative accommodation is being arranged for the family while an investigation and clean-up take place, he added.
Comments(18)
Huey
says...
3:20pm Wed 8 Feb 12
My mate Phil runs a cleaning team who do such jobs, he says you can clean it all out, redecorate, paint and wallpaper, but there will ALWAYS be some trace of a lingering smell.
They will never get rid of it.
Over the Edge
says...
3:38pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Callum is talking sh1t, he hasn't done his homework and is using this as an excuse.
dango
says...
3:55pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Might SS
says...
4:41pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Dasal
says...
5:31pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Huey wrote:H'mmm...........
You will NEVER get the smell out. My mate Phil runs a cleaning team who do such jobs, he says you can clean it all out, redecorate, paint and wallpaper, but there will ALWAYS be some trace of a lingering smell. They will never get rid of it.
SMS
HARRY REDKNAPP !!!
Over the Edge
says...
5:33pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Might SS wrote:Agreed the story is cr@p
This is something that the family would be insured for - I don't see why this is a story at all !!
freemantlegirl2
says...
6:35pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Goldenwight wrote:Leave the lad alone - love the way you lot just pounce on anyone in a story and make them out to be some kind of crook!!! may karma come and visit you in the form of some cr*p!
Jamie said he also lost £800 in cash which he received for selling his motorbike.
Yeah, right. If he retrieves the notes, a bank will exchange them. If he wants me to do it for him, I'll charge 20%.
8089
says...
7:09pm Wed 8 Feb 12
...Just the same as when I go for a sh** then!!
IronLady2010
says...
7:21pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Chuck a nappy down the bog, feed the kids chips and burgers and everyone else has to suffer!
Hope the lad manages to catch up on his homework, the rest can be replaced. Good luck!
Scatgirl
says...
10:05pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Mr Cynical
says...
11:06pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Otherwise that's one big coincidence.
IronLady2010
says...
11:52pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Mr Cynical wrote:blame game lol
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if the water engineers were working on the drains at the exact time it happened, that it was probably them forcing the sewage back into the basement...
Otherwise that's one big coincidence.
sotonkg12
says...
12:22am Thu 9 Feb 12
Goldenwight
says...
9:43am Thu 9 Feb 12
freemantlegirl2 wrote:Disagree with you entirely here. I'm doing nothing of the sort- the only cr*p involved here (apart from arguably the story itself) is the stuff I'm offering to save the guy dirtying himself with by going to the bank for him. For a small commission.
Goldenwight wrote: Jamie said he also lost £800 in cash which he received for selling his motorbike. Yeah, right. If he retrieves the notes, a bank will exchange them. If he wants me to do it for him, I'll charge 20%.Leave the lad alone - love the way you lot just pounce on anyone in a story and make them out to be some kind of crook!!! may karma come and visit you in the form of some cr*p!
Or maybe they don't believe in economics in Freemantle- all on benefits, perhaps, and don't understand the concept of working for a living?
jaffa12
says...
6:25pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Might SS wrote:That's if they've bothered to get insurance - or just kick up a stink to get someone else to pay out! Awful thing to happen but if your property is ground floor or below you could get flooded...
This is something that the family would be insured for - I don't see why this is a story at all !!
jaffa12
says...
6:41pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Mr Cynical wrote:Yeah, but the engineers wouldn't have backed up sewage on purpose - and who blocks the sewers in the first place - residents putting fat which solidifies, wet wipes, nappies and worse down the drains!
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if the water engineers were working on the drains at the exact time it happened, that it was probably them forcing the sewage back into the basement...
Otherwise that's one big coincidence.
free121
says...
7:12pm Thu 9 Feb 12
Goldenwight wrote:How DARE you, say that all peolpe in Freemantle are on benefits. I live in freemantle and both me and my wife work hard. I find this very offensive. I think people like you need to get a life.
freemantlegirl2 wrote:Disagree with you entirely here. I'm doing nothing of the sort- the only cr*p involved here (apart from arguably the story itself) is the stuff I'm offering to save the guy dirtying himself with by going to the bank for him. For a small commission. Or maybe they don't believe in economics in Freemantle- all on benefits, perhaps, and don't understand the concept of working for a living?Goldenwight wrote: Jamie said he also lost £800 in cash which he received for selling his motorbike. Yeah, right. If he retrieves the notes, a bank will exchange them. If he wants me to do it for him, I'll charge 20%.Leave the lad alone - love the way you lot just pounce on anyone in a story and make them out to be some kind of crook!!! may karma come and visit you in the form of some cr*p!
Goldenwight says...
2:27pm Wed 8 Feb 12
Yeah, right. If he retrieves the notes, a bank will exchange them. If he wants me to do it for him, I'll charge 20%.