The mystery of the stink hovering above Hackbridge seems to be finally solved.
After complaints from the public for over a year, Sutton Council is claiming it identified the source of the bad smell as being the Thames Water sewage treatment works and not the landfill site managed by Viridor Waste, which had been receiving all the blame for it.
In June last year, the Sutton Guardian reported the various odour complaints made by Beddington and Hackbridge residents and that the source of the stench was unidentified.
A group of Oakmead Road residents in Beddington were fuming and many took aim at the nearby landfill site, which denied responsibility for the odour.
According to the council, the environmental health team is now in regular contact with Thames Water to manage the problem and answer residents’ complaints.
Councillor Colin Hall said: “Beddington Lane is a heavy industrialised area and there are a number of sites which can cause smells, including the sewage treatment works, the landfill site and the green waste composting facility.
“Many people think the pong is coming from the landfill site, but in fact work at Thames Water’s sewage plant is the primary source of complaints.
“Environmental health staff are now speaking to Thames Water and pressing them to reduce the odours as soon as possible.
“I have asked for a detailed progress report in September to make sure the proposed works remain on track.”
A spokesman for Sutton Council said they are keen to receive information about nasty smells coming from the sewage works.
Sutton’s head of environmental control, Jan Gransden, said: “We inspected the treatment works in May as Thames Water is carrying out improvements to their processes.
“They are replacing their filtering equipment, which should reduce smells at the site and also cut the amount of waste pumped into outdoor pools.
“These improvements should reduce odours in the long term and aim to be completed by October.
“In the meantime I’d urge residents to log and report any problems to us or to Thames Water directly so the company can investigate and take action.”
If residents are experiencing problems they should contact Thames direct on 0845 920 0800 and Sutton Council on 020 8770 5070.
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