BROOMFIELD AND KINGSWOOD PARISH COUNCIL

BROOMFIELD AND KINGSWOOD PARISH COUNCIL

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Report - KINGSWOOD SEWAGE SYSTEM

Meeting with Southern Water on Thursday 26th. April 2007 @ 10-00am

People Present as follows:- 3 Southern Water Engineers, Ian Hills & Trevor Ford of the Environment Health Department of Maidstone Borough Council, Maidstone Borough Councillor Peter Parvin, Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Councillors Nelson ( Bob ) Bower, Peter Coleman, Mrs Sue Wotton Clerk, Members of the public Maurice Fitzpatrick & Pam Carter Residents of Ashford Drive.

Maurice Fitzpatrick was given permission to explain the problems with the Kingswood Sewerage System to all people present at this meeting.

The Sewerage System was installed 32 years ago by Maidstone Contractors who went Bankrupt two thirds of the way through the Project,

Maidstone Borough Council took over the Installation and paid Maidstone Contractor and their men on a day-work basis with their own Building Inspectors

overseeing the work.

At this time there were only just over 200 House and Bungalows in Kingswood, and the system has suffered problems of blockages from day one.

This system now services approx 650 Properties over 3 times what it was designed for, and four fifths of this Villages Sewerage Runs Down the Ashford Drive Section of the system and on to Broomfield Road.

As it was agreed with Southern Waters Engineers there are Major Problems with this System from one end of the Village to the other

There is a lack of Fall throughout.

It was also pointed out to that the 6" ( 150mm ) Sewerage Pipe running from the Ashford Drive cul-de-sac Manhole, through the Land called Melbury to Broomfield Road Manhole adjacent to Robins was laid incorrrectly, as were many of the pipes throughout Kingswood.

These pipes undulates up and down causing a large Build-Up of Fats due to the poor flow.

One of the Southern Water engineers Stated that a Pumping Station should have been installed to get over the Problems with the lack of Falls that the Sewer Pipes throughout the System Suffers.

We were told that the Broomfield Road Section of the Kingswood System was completely Scoured through Last Year, when Southern Water had to shut the Broomfield Road so this work could be carried out to clear the Fats etc from the system.

As you have been made aware from discussions over the last year about this Sewerage System in the Parish Council Meetings, that there has been Major Problem with Sewers Blocking and Spillages into Roads and Land throughout the Village, from the Playing Field area, Ivy Close, Whitehall Drive, Charlesford Avenue, Chestnut Drive, Ashford Drive and Broomfield Road etc.

1) Ivy Close has suffered for many years with Blockages and Spillages

2) From day one Charlesford Avenue and Whitehall Drive have had Blockages and Spillages into Roads and Gardens

3) From day one Ashford Drive have had Blockages causing toilets in the Bungalows at the cul-de-sac end up to Charlesford Avenue Junction to fill within an inch of the top of their pans, and Sewerage to Spill from Manhole Covers and into Land including Melbury.

4) From day one Broomfield Road have had Blockages and Spillages into Land and Gardens from Manholes.

Stating from The Robins to the Broomfield Village end of this road. A number of property owners have had to fit Non-Return Valves in their Manholes to stop Sewerage from Overflowing from their toilets into their Properties.

Southern Waters Engineers agreed to attempt to address these problems throughout Kingswood in Several Stages starting with

Ashford Drive and Broomfield Roads Problems and would send Cameras through the system to assess what was wrong to enable

them to correct the problems evolved.

Southern Waters Engineers were also told this was done over 15 Years ago but nothing was done to correct any problems, and we were never informed what the results were or what was going to be done to put the system into working order.

Also from the time the system was installed the Property Owners of Kingswood have complained about these problems, but Nothing has ever been done to resolve the situation.

We were all ashored that we would be kept in the picture of Southern Waters finding, and what they intended to do to correct the problems. They would also send a Full Report to the Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council.

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Tuesday 10-00am on the 15th.May 2007 Southern Waters Sub-Contractors MTS and their Engineers arrrived in Ashford Drive

( Engineer in Charge Mr.Jim Johnson ) with 3 Large Trucks and a Camera Unit.

I introduced myself ( Maurice Fitzpatrick ) to Jim Johnson and explained I am a member of The Broomfield and Kingswood Parish Council and would like to be informed of the results of there investigations and Camera survey.

Mr.Johnson said he would see that I am kept fully informed with their servey and I could see the camera film of the sewers survey.

I could also ask any questions I wanted and the Engineers would explain what they have found and what work needs to be done to correct any problems they find.

The Engineers Camera Survey from the Ashford Drive cul-de-sac Manhole through the pipes to the Manhole half way across Mr.Froud's Land called Melbury, undulates Up and Down severely throughout its run, there is also a pipe collar jutting out at least half an inch and some tree roots growing into the pipes system.

They also found the 6" ( 150mm ) pipe was one third full of Solid Fat.

The Engineers sent Scouring equipment through this section of sewer pipe and cleaned out all the fats and tree roots.

The Engineers showed me the Camera Film of this section and took me through the problems they found as above. due to the Undulations of this Sewer Pipe the water was running like Small Rapids throughout its run.

The Engineers stated that this Section of the Sewerage System from Asford Drive cul-de-sac to the Broomfield Road Junction is a Very Long Run, and with the Load it is Carrying it should be Upgraded to a 9" ( 225mm ) pipe.

Later that day the Engineers reported that the Broomfield Road Main Sewer was not as we were led to believe a 9" (225mm ) Main Pipe, it is in fact a 6" ( 150mm ) Pipe.

The Engineers told me that this Main Sewer Run of paperwork should be at least 9" ( 225mm ) and they would recommend it was changed to a 12" ( 300mm ), They also found that this section of the sewerage system was also One Third full of Solid Fat due to it's lack of size causing the flow to be very Poor.

Note:- As earlier stated by Southern water it would appear that this section of sewer is back to the condition it was in 1 Year Ago.

I was also told that If the Broomfield Road Sewer was at least 9" ( 225mm ) then the flow from the Ashford Drive Main Sewer running into it could get away a lot quicker, but as it is the flow is severely restricted causing a back-up throughout the Village.

I asked what the effect of building Houses in the Land called Melbury above the section of sewer running from Ashford Drive to Broomfield Road would be, I was told this would cause a major problem and severely restrict the flow even further back through the Village.

I also asked what is the Maximum amount of Houses that the 6" ( 150mm ) Main Sewer Pipe should service, that runs from the Ashford Drive cul-de-sac through to and along the Broomfield Road and out of Kingswood Village.

The Engineers Stated that if the Sewer Pipes were in Good Condition and Laid Correctly then the Maximum amount of House/Bungalows should not exceed 400

Note:- The Sewerage Manhole @ the junction of Broomfield Road adjacent to Robins has a 9" ( 225mm ) "T" piece ( ? why ) to give the impression that this is the size of the sewers run.

When in Fact the Sewerage Pipework is only a 6" ( 150mm ) and just joins at this junction.

It was explained that due to the Main Sewers in the Roads Blocking throughout the Village due to the problems involved, this caused the sewage pipes on Private Properties to also block due to the backing up effect that takes place and leaves these blockages remaining even after the Main Sewer was cleared by Southern Water's Engineers.

I felt that the Responsibility for clearing any of these blockages of Sewage Pipes on the Land of the Properties in the Village was that of Southern Water for the reasons given.

This should Not be the Responsibility of the Individual Property Owner to pay for their Sewer pipes to be cleared.

Southern Water's Engineers agreed, and told us to inform the Property Owners of Kingswood Village to contact Southern Water first when a blockage occurs on their Properties and Southern Water would come out and clear any blockage on their land Free of Charge.

Southern Water's Engineers stated that if this was done it would give them the necessary information of their records to enable them to justify the costs for the necessary work that needs to be done to resolve the problems that exist with their Main Sewers.

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Report from Maurice Fitzpatrick.