Oil, petrol and even dog mess have been carried into gardens in Wootton as homeowners face an onslaught of water running into their gardens and ponds.
A problem that has been going on for years now has quite literally resurfaced for residents on Lushington Hill as they face excess water coming from the main road, going through a drainage system and reappearing on their property.
Despite not being connected to the drain system, the pipes run through privately-owned land, which forces those who own it to deal with the unfiltered consequences — as Island Roads say it operates as it is designed to.
One resident, said while he only noticed it in October last year, his neighbours had been complaining about the flooding since 2016, “at first we thought it was a burst pipe or a water leak,” he said. “Eventually, Island Roads came out and traced the water and found it had been coming from the road gullies on the main road.”
Island Roads has said it is not their responsibility to deal with the incoming water or blockages in the pipes but up to the residents to stop, which owners should have been told about when they bought their properties.
A spokesperson for the company said:
“While we do understand the frustrations of residents, the highway drainage at this location is well maintained and operates as it is designed to, including the removal of debris such as fallen leaves from the road surface.
“The existing drainage system was installed decades ago and the outfall has always, as with similar systems all over the Island, discharged onto third party land via established watercourses.
“Under rules known as riparian ownership, which set out the rights and responsibilities of owners of property adjoining a watercourse, it is the responsibly of the landowner(s) to maintain the watercourse on, next to or under their property.
“Island Roads has regularly communicated this message to help these property owners and residents to better understand the situation.”
However, when going back through moving documents, one resident has not found any mention of riparian ownership and even went to their solicitor to check.
Cllr Barry Abraham, who is Isle of Wight Council representative for Wootton Bridge said he had visited the properties and was quite shocked by what he saw, including the pollution of the water.
He said:
“Lushington Hill bringing with it lots of things that have fallen on the road and into a sump that is totally inadequate to deal with the amount of water.
“It is a huge problem for several residents who have to accept all the water without any redress from the council.
“I know I am a cabinet member on the council but I do feel the council is wrong on this — they have to play some part in correcting this situation. It is totally unfair on residents.”
The main concern for residents, however, is that what comes through to their land is unfiltered and has brought with it oil, road debris and one person even fished out a bag of dog waste from their pond.
The resident said:
“I am finding it very hard to believe that all this muck coming down the hill and into the drains is up to us and out of their hands.
“They are putting it into an open water course that isn’t being filtered or treated in anyway before it exits and naturally travels from there on which is a problem environmentally.
“I feel they are trying to get out of it when really the drains should be going into a proper sewer or filtration system before the water is discharged.”
Island Roads said they have investigated the wider drainage system in the area and found some systems poorly installed by third parties, which have, over time, made matters worse by causing blockages in the main outfall.
The spokesperson said:
“We will continue to be available to advise and guide residents as appropriate.”
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