Horley Gardens Inundated by Sewage Following Treatment Works Pump Malfunction

Gardens belonging to local residents were inundated following a malfunction with a pump at a sewage treatment facility, prompting worries regarding the presence of potentially contaminated water near their residences. On Wednesday, Lee Street in Horley was submerged by water, with one resident reporting the necessity to “wade through” metres of water to exit his home. Steve Pelham, a resident of his property for six years, stated that this was not the initial instance of his garden flooding, citing a comparable event in 2019. A representative for Thames Water issued an apology to individuals affected by a hydraulic pump problem at its Horley sewage treatment works. “It is not nice as all our possessions that have been flooded have to be thrown away,” Mr. Pelham conveyed to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Councillor Steve Wotton, representing Horley West and Sidlow, asserted that water analyses he conducted “strongly indicated” the existence of sewage. In conjunction with Chris Coghlan, the Liberal Democrat Member of Parliament for Dorking and Horley, Mr. Wotton has been advocating for improvements to the sewage treatment works. The Thames Water representative stated that the pump had been repaired and that crews were collaborating with local residents for area clean-up. The spokesperson added: “We have clear and deliverable plans to upgrade 250 of our sites across the region, to increase treatment capacity and reduce the number of storm discharges. This includes our site at Horley.” They further commented: “As infrastructure ages and demand on it increases, more investment is needed across the entire sector. That’s why we’ve asked for increased investment in the next regulatory cycle between 2025-2030.” During October, Thames Water obtained a loan amounting to £3bn amid concerns that its funding might be depleted by Christmas.