Water alarm village calls for action plan for fuel leak

People in a village where a petrol leak sparked a drinking water alert a week ago have called for an action plan to clean up the fuel that ‘migrated’ onto the high street.

Last week, an alcohol ban was imposed on over 600 properties in Bramley, Surrey, after elevated hydrocarbon levels were detected.

The incident involved a fuel leak at a petrol station owned by Asda, which said it inherited the problem when it bought the site.

Thames Water is replacing pipes and supplying bottled water. Asda said it was aware of the impact and was working to resolve the situation.

Helen Melia of the Bramley Residents’ Action Group (Brag) said: “Currently, concerns remain that there is no plan to clean up the petrol that has leaked into Bramley from the petrol station site.”

She said: “They have a pumping and treatment system on site.

“But from what I’ve heard from talking to people about a pump-and-treat system, it’s not going to magically divert all the petrol that’s been running down the High Street back onto the site, so we really need to come up with a plan.”

Asda says it has so far pumped over 125,000 litres of contaminated water from the ground and treated it to Thames Water standards and recovered over 100 litres of pure petrol.

The remediation system will continue to pump and treat groundwater and the water quality of a stream has improved, the company said.

Asda also said it would continue to work with other utilities and affected parties regarding fuel under and around the High Street.

Work at the station included inspecting fuel tanks, fuel lines and pumps and relining or replacing them if necessary, the company said.

An Asda spokesperson said: “We are aware of the impact this has had on Bramley residents and share their frustration. We are committed to working with all parties to resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”

Thames Water has sent no-drinking signs to 617 properties in the village.

Homeowners were told not to drink the tap water, use it for cooking or brushing their teeth, use it for washing, or give it to their pets – even if it had been boiled.

Thames Water has stated that the water is safe for washing and flushing toilets.

A bottled water station has been opened at Artington Park & ​​Ride in Guildford and bottled water is being supplied to accommodation.

The company replacing pipes on the currently closed Station Road expects the work to be completed by June 21.

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