Kentish Express Ashford & District
New attempt to suppress stench from sewage works
New technology has been installed at sewage works in Kennington in a bid to combat the bad smell in the area.
Odour suppression systems have been put in place to try and reduce the stench.
The processing tanks at the Kinneys Lane works are covered and a suppression system is used to process the majority of odour created on the site and eliminate it as much as possible.
However, according to residents, the smell is not improving.
Kennington resident and local historian Steve Salter, who has been living in the area since 1977, said: “The smells coming from that area are pungent and it’s been there for at least a month.
“The sewage works have been there since the 1960s so you would have thought they would have worked it out by now but there seems to be a pattern that whenever we get warm weather we get bad smells in the area.
“It was so vile the other day it actually made me heave. Words can’t describe it,” he added.
“It smells like something is decomposing, I can’t sit out in my garden because it’s that bad.”
A spokeswoman from Southern Water said: “Unfortunately, there will always be some odours associated with the wastewater treatment process, however hard we try to minimise the impact on nearby residents.
“There are a number of reasons why odours from a wastewater treatment works may change including, for example, dry, warm weather or a change of wind direction and/or strength.
“Odour levels are strictly regulated by the Environment Agency and we have been working closely with them on this issue.
“In order to help further reduce any potential impact on our customers, we have just finished installing new odour suppression systems at key points around the site to help minimise odours throughout the year. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.
“We understand that odours from our treatment works can be unpleasant for nearby residents, so we try very hard to minimise their impact.”