Residents in The Village started lodging complaints of a stench that started to fill Earswick. The overwhelming smell was quickly followed by residents noticing raw sewage starting to pour into the road near River Foss.
The incident was caused by a sewer main that cracked in York.
Local utilities sent tankers and pump out to the area to work day and night to help remove the sewage from the streets and curb complaints from residents. Yorkshire Water’s Tom Phillips, who works as the utility’s customer service manager, claims that a rising main under a field in Earswick cracked.
The utility had to tanker flows that made their way into Willow Grove.
The tanker is just a patch that is necessary until the repairs can be completed. Repairing a sewer main is a timely, costly process unless trenchless sewer repair technology is used. The technology doesn’t require the old lines to be removed and doesn’t require roadways to be ripped up as a result.
Yorkshire Water claims that they had the issue under control and that the pumping station will be repaired as soon as possible. The repair is expected to take a few days before the pumping station is operational again.
The pumping station was shut down to help stop sewage escapes and prevent further sewage from polluting the area. Small-scale excavation is needed to repair the crack. Tankering will continue until the repairs are made. The utility promises to return the surface back to its original state following the excavation.
Tankers could be seen going up and down the street all night long, according to residents. They crackled to pressure building up under the road, which eventually hit its peak when the road rose, and sewage started to pour out of it.
The flat land in York is partial to blame for the frequent problem. Workers claim that the flat land doesn’t allow for proper drainage and leads to overflows.
Residents blame the construction of Fosslands estate for the problem. Residents say the building has led to a system overload, which has led to frequent sewage problems in York. Hay could be seen stacked along the area to help prevent the sewage from moving closer to the river.
The River Foss has not been impacted by the sewage, according to the Environment Agency.
Oxygen meters were used by workers over the weekend to check the river and perform a quality check. The pumping station’s immediate closure helped eliminate the risk of the crack, causing sewage to make its way into the local river.
York residents were alerted this week after news that Hutton bridge, which goes over the River Foss, will be closed for a week next month. The bridge is in need of maintenance, which will begin on February 6.
Preparation will begin that week, with two-way traffic lights being used. The bridge will then be closed between February 10 and February 18, with drivers being diverted along Strensall and Flexton.
The repairs will take place during half term to provide as little disruption as possible.
