'It's definitely ruining day to day life' - Camberley mother describes 'putrid' sewage smell

Watch: People living and working near to the sewage works tell ITV News Meridian's Kara Digby the smell is ruining their summer

A mother from Surrey says the foul smell of sewage outside her home is so bad it is "ruining day to day life".

Daisy Monk lives in Camberley near the Sewage Treatment Works and says she started smelling the "putrid" odour about three months ago.

Thames Water has been transporting and storing excess waste at the sewage treatment works from other locations.

Mrs Monk said: "I don't want to open my windows, I sit indoors with the fan on.

"I have got a new baby. I don't want to sit outside in my garden.

"I don't want my friends to come over, it's embarrassing how bad the smell is. Even walking round town, I don't really want to go out so it's really affecting my day to day life to be honest...

"It's definitely ruining day to day life."

• Daisy Monk doesn't want to open her windows because of the smell

Across the road from the treatment works, sports coach Kris Hatton has resorted to burning incense, buying air conditioning units and spraying air freshener to mask the "pungent" smell.

He said: "It's affected the staff that work in here.

"Especially through the summer months when you try and open up the windows they're trying to work and the smells quite bad and it's very hot in the building so we've had to try and install some air conditioning units to make sure we don't have to have the windows open but also with our recruitment at the moment, for our work, trying to bring people in here to have interviews is a little bit unpleasant for them to park outside and have the smell floating around."

Cllr Kel Finan-Cooke, from Surrey Heath Borough Council says "residents have had an absolutely horrific summer".

She added: "We're being told constantly by our residents that they can't open their windows, they can't enjoy their gardens, particularly in the summer holidays the children can't play outside and a lot of people are telling us that they feel very unwell because of the smell."

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to local people who continue to experience odours from our Camberley sewage treatment works. We are working hard to fix the issue, processing and removing the extra sludge as quickly as we can.

“This will enable us to clean the sewage storage tanks over the next few weeks and will ensure odour levels return to normal. We can confirm a 24-hour odour suppression system has been in place since the 1 August, helping to minimise the smell.  

“We continue to update the local community, sharing messages via our website and social media, and will also carry out a leaflet drop. We have also met with local councillors to advise them on our next steps.

“Customers affected can call us to discuss any concerns. Simply phone 0800 316 9800 and cite reference number 00409576."

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