Smelly raw sewage keeps flooding a play area and rugby pitch in Blackwood. Local councillor Nigel Nix said sewage appeared on the recreation ground at Woodfieldside whenever there was heavy rain.
He said there had been dirty liquid "that smells just like a blocked toilet" around 10 feet away from the playground for around a month. Not only was it unpleasant for dog walkers and children who used the park, Mr Dix said he also worried about possible public health implications. A spokesman for Welsh Water said a clean-up of the affected area had been arranged.
Mr Dix said: "There is an inspection cover in the play area and when we get heavy rain, raw sewage comes up through them and floods across the field and into the river [Sirhowy], which leads to contaminated soil. You can see bits of tissue paper, wet wipes and a sanitary towels. There is also a pungent smell in the air. It's not very pleasant when you are walking along and can smell raw sewage. It smells just like a blocked toilet. It happens whenever there is heavy rain because the sewage system gets overloaded." You can get more Blackwood news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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But Mr Dix said that wasn't the only issue at the park, which is located near Willow Drive. He said there was also water continually pouring out of the embankment close to the play area, leaving a white residue on the soil.
"This happens even if there is no rain," he said. "It happens around half-way up the embankment which says to me there is a crack in the pipes, rather than the water naturally coming out at the bottom of the embankment due to gravity. Welsh Water has been over there but I have seen no improvement. It's a public health issue with it being next to the rugby pitch and park. The issues happen around 10 feet away from the playground and rugby pitch. If the kids drop a ball into it and have to pick it up, it's unhygienic."
A Welsh Water spokesman said: “We hadn’t been made aware of the situation at this location but our team has attended today and will arrange to clean up the affected area. We will also undertake further investigations to understand if there is any specific issue with the network in the area.
"We would like to apologise to local customers if any inconvenience has been caused. If anyone notices a problem with our network, we would advise them to contact us straight away on 0800 085 3968”.
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