Residents of Chatsworth Close were relieved to learn this week that Welsh Water is set to start work on repairing a faulty sewage pumping station in their road. Gill Boulter and Gordon Hacker live in the two houses closest to the pumping station and they told the Ross Gazette how unpleasant it was, especially during the hot weather.

They have had to endure a terrible stink since the pumping station stopped working as mess is accumulating around the pumping station which is situated between 12 and 13 Chatsworth Close.

Problems arose after the building company which had previously taken responsibility for the pumping station, organising maintenance and dealing with problems as they arose, went into liquidation.

When the pumping station went wrong this time there was some initial confusion over who was responsible. Mrs Boulter told the Gazette that she had tried to get something done but had not been successful until she had contacted her local Councillors, Phil Cutter and Andrew Atkinson.

They contacted Herefordshire Council which stepped in to provide regular clean up operations but unfortunately the smell lingers, and Mrs Boulter, who lives at the closest house to the station, has also had to deal with effluent coming out of her drain.

The Councillors said she had been very patient and understanding but something needed to be done as soon as possible.

She said she is very grateful to them because they have liaised with the Council and Welsh water and checked that not only has a temporary clean up been carried out but that something will be done to correct the situation in the long term.

MP Jesse Norman has given his support to the residents and written to Welsh Water asking them to take over the pumping station properly.

He has visited the site and spoken with the residents because he wanted to see the problem for himself. He asked Welsh Water to take over the pumping station immediately and he said he will be pursuing the matter vigorously. He told the Gazette:?"When I visited there was about six to eight inches of sewage and it was horrific."

He added that Cllr Cutter and Cllr Atkinson had got people organised and on Monday afternoon Cllr Cutter told the Ross Gazette that the keys had been located and a thorough clean up had taken place. He said a pump has been ordered and will be fitted as soon as possible.

He said:?"Significant progress has been made to improve this situation."

D?r Cymru Welsh Water told the Ross Gazette:?"Sewers and lateral drains that flow into sewage pumping stations, and which were connected to the public sewer network on or before July 1st, 2011, transferred to Welsh Water in October 2011. This is a massive undertaking.

"However, the ownership of private sewage pumping stations that serve more than one property will not automatically transfer to Welsh Water until October 2016. This will also be a major undertaking, affecting more than 600 sites.

"In the meantime we are sympathetic to the circumstances in which householders find themselves at individual sites and are now considering ways in which we can support these residents in the lead up to the overnight transfer in 2016.