Does thinking about where your waste water ends up leave you feeling drained? This mundane daily occurrence is, it seems, considerably more important than first thought. Liz Hill tells more.
There are some things in this life that barely warrant a second thought in your day… until, that is, they break. Your kettle, your brakes, your big toe – and sewage disposal.
Press that flush button – or indeed, watch the shower tray, sink, dishwasher or washing machine drain away – and what happens next isn’t something that is likely to cross your mind… except when it doesn’t work.
And if it doesn’t work for a lot of people at the same time, then chances are, there’s a problem with what’s politely described as ‘foul drainage’ in the village. Social media will spring into action to share news of such an eventuality – and hopefully Anglian Water will spring into action too, as they’re the ones responsible for taking most of it away.
Not all the village is connected to main sewers, so some households have their own provision. A few others have a shared provision off the main network, but responsibility for their piping and service provision lies with Anglian Water too.
Pipe dreams
So where exactly does the waste go, and how does it get there? HI HUB asked Histon & Impington’s very own resident drainage expert, Denis Payne, to chart its journey.
“In almost all cases the foul drains rely on gravity” he says. “In a few places, like Hunters Close, gravity isn’t up to the job so a small pumping station is installed, with pipes from individual households connecting to the main pipe network under the roadway.
“Bizarrely, precise information about the location of these pipes and other underground services isn’t freely available; rather, a digital services company will sell it to you for a fee – and anyone planning the works will need the information so will have to pay this.
“There should be no trees planted or other services laid in a 3m ‘buffer zone’ around any pipes, to allow access to them if the need for a repair arise – though clearly this isn’t possible in some built-up areas.”
Home Close bound
All pipes then lead to a large pumping station at Home Close, from where it continues its onward journey, forming a heady cocktail as it passes through ‘jam factory’ land, picking up their “outflow” (not jam) on the way.
“It then passes down the access road alongside the old station building, through The Copse, under the B1049, past Histon Football Club, and finally off to the sewage treatment works at Milton” explains Denis.
“There are still plans for a new treatment plant to be built between Fen Ditton and Horningsea, but this won’t affect the direction of travel for Histon & Impington’s sewage. This will continue on its journey to Milton, from where it will be connected to the new plant.”
Buffering up
The Parish Council discovered the implications of not leaving a buffer zone around a pipe after they first installed electricity in the crossing keeper’s cottage – affectionately dubbed ‘The Hut at Poo Corner’ – at The Copse.
Digging revealed that the offending sewage pipe, which had sprung a leak, was next to several other utility pipes and cables under the ground. Before the repair could begin, the electricity supply at the Hut had to be moved. Five trees had to be removed by specialist tree surgeons, as the excavation would have disturbed their roots and left them unsafe.
If there are problems at the pumping station or with the main pipes leading to Milton, multiple tankers have to operate round the clock to empty the storage tanks at Home Close. This often coincides with periods of heavy rain.
Denis explains why: “In theory, the sewage system is ‘sealed’ and only deals with outflows from domestic and business premises – not surface water. In Histon & Impington special permission is needed to connect rainwater run-off to the sewage system.
“But during periods of heavy rain, surface water does get into the foul network. During one period of really heavy rain, almost 90% of the water at the pumping station was from that rain, either getting in via manhole covers, or via less than perfect joints in the network.”
Backing up
A heavy rainfall in October 2023 saw some residents in the village reporting their toilets backing up and foul water rising through plug holes. Anglian Water explained that a blockage at the local pumping station with what looked like an item of clothing meant the excess rainwater couldn’t drain away until they could clear the blockage.
A few months later, there were multiple blockages of the main drain in Parr Close. The drain there takes the foul water from around 150 houses in the area, including Homefield Close, Hereward Close and The Dole, and problems arose after heavy rain, leading to difficulties flushing toilets.
The company attributed these problems to a continued build-up of wet wipes and unflushables, as well as roots growing through the pipes.
Keep it flowing
These blockages led the company to issue guidelines to the village about ‘Don’ts and Dos for your Sinks and Loos’.
They highlight three actions that all households should take to keep pipes flowing – both public sewers and pipes within the boundaries of a property – which are the responsibility of each household and unblocking must be paid for.
So in case you’re still reading, and the subject of sewage disposal has warranted a second thought in your head today, here are their top tips:
- 1. Use sink strainers in plugholes to catch tiny bits of food, then empty them into a food waste recycling bin.
- 2. Never put fat, oil or food scraps down the sink or loo – use the recycling facilities, at home or a Waste Recycling Centre
- 3. Put sanitary pads, wipes and tampons in the bin – not down the loo
If we all follow their advice, hopefully no one in the village will ever experience a poonami again.