Fuel leak clean-up will take years, residents told

Residents affected by a fuel leak have been told they face years to get rid of contamination in their village.

In the spring, 600 Bramley residents were told not to drink tap water after a fuel leak from a petrol station contaminated the water supply.

An official from the Environment Agency said at a public meeting that there was a three-stage process to clear up pollutants in the ground, according to a social media post from local MP Jeremy Hunt.

Mr Hunt, who was chairing Friday's meeting, said on his Facebook page that following the third stage Bramley would see pollutants eventually broken down in a natural process "completed over years".

Locals had complained of petrol smells for two years before the leak was discovered.

The source was traced to an Asda forecourt fuel tank. The leak predated the supermarket chain's ownership of the site.

Asda paid the village £512,000 in October as compensation for the disruption.

Representatives from Waverley Borough Council, Asda, environmental consultants EPS and internet provider Openreach also attended the meeting at St Catherine's School.

Thames Water testing showed water samples in the area continued to meet UK standards, the meeting heard, according to Mr Hunt, the MP for Goldalming and Ash.

Councillor Jane Austin, who was present at the meeting, told BBC Radio Surrey on Monday: "It's quite concerning to hear it will be years not months until we are free of the fuel contamination."

Some 246 houses still have an intermittent internet connection as network provider Openreach said it was unsafe for engineers to access underground cables if fuel was still present.

A further 25 houses and businesses who are without internet completely have been given mobile dongles.

Openreach say they have managed to fix issues for 630 addresses in the area without having to access underground cables.

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