Raw Sewage Pollution Aftermath from Burst Sewage Main into Arable Field

[Robert]

We suffered an incident recently whereby a sewer running in the roadside verge immediately adjacent to our land burst and properly flooded about 1ha of our adjacent wheat crop with raw sewage. Some of it receded quickly enough that i think the wheat might survive but a proportion was drowned for too long and will be lost. Aside from that eminently quantifiable crop loss, what else should we claim for / be aware of to cover ourselves in the long term?

Any similar experiences out there please for guidance? Thanks

 

[milkloss]

What does RT have to say about fertilising the crop with raw sewage?

 

[Scholsey]

Trauma from seeing a huge amount of people’s floaters.

 

[chaffcutter]

We had a pressurised pumping main running diagonally through a field, it burst frequently, and we got an agent involved to deal with Severn Trent. It all went on for some time but eventually got a permanent fix, but I can’t remember that we got much compensation, if any.
Don’t farm it any more so not sure if it has been ok since.

 

[M-J-G]

We suffered an incident recently whereby a sewer running in the roadside verge immediately adjacent to our land burst and properly flooded about 1ha of our adjacent wheat crop with raw sewage. Some of it receded quickly enough that i think the wheat might survive but a proportion was drowned for too long and will be lost. Aside from that eminently quantifiable crop loss, what else should we claim for / be aware of to cover ourselves in the long term?

Any similar experiences out there please for guidance? Thanks

Good luck getting anything done.

We complained about one like yours for about a decade ago and even when it caused about 10 oaks to come down in a storm due to the ground becoming a bog, we were just told that stretch of pipe was owned by Thames Water (we are near Edinburgh) and they didn't reply to any calls, letters or emails.

So when it rains heavy sewage runs down the field and into the arterial river at the bottom of the hill.

 

[vantage]

Look on the FW website, maybe in this week’s FW, case with Welsh Water. When press is involved things happen.

 

[pembsarable]

Speak to a land agent. They will know what to claim. I'm fairly certain in these cases the utility company has to pay your costs incurred in any claim. The land agent will know the details, no harm in a phone call.

 

[PSQ]

So when it rains heavy sewage runs down the field and into the arterial river at the bottom of the hill.

A phone call to SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) should get the attention of Thames Water

 

[M-J-G]

A phone call to SEPA (Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) should get the attention of Thames Water

You'd think that, but they were on site several times, but to no avail.
I just dug a big ditch to divert it away from most of the field so it's not so much my problem any more.