Manhole Overflow = Disaster4gyo?

[new2gyo]

Hi all

I am new to gyo and have a problem.
My neighbours drains became blocked and they did not notice and this caused my manhole to block and overflow onto my garden and around my beds. I have 6 beds in total 4 have only top soil in them as yet but i have already got strawberry plants and garlic planted and need to know if there are any health risks if i continue to grown in these beds and eventually eat the crops in these beds??

[snuffer]

I cannot give a definitive answer but I would have thought any risk would be minimal. Anything coming up from the drains would be very heavily diluted by the ammount of bathwater, rainwater etc that would be entering the drain aswell.

Years ago I used to buy a soil improver / fertiliser called 'Black Gold' it was made entirely from the waste taken from the sewage works.

Many of the vegetables found in the supermarket (particularly from countries like Egypt) will have been fertilesed with among, other things, human excrament.

Provided the drainage problem has now been solved I would not be overly concerned about any adverse effects lingering in the soil.

[Nicos]

Hi there- and welcome to the Vine!!


What a yukky experience for you

OK- had a good long think and come up with the idea that your next door neighbours will have building insurance.
If you are concerned ( and I would be to a certain extent) you could arrange for the soil to be tested by Environmental Health to check that the soil isn't contaminated-you'd have to get the OK from your neighbours Insurance company of course- but basically I would have thought that it could be argued that it's damage to your property, and if it is indeed contaminated, then I would have thought they'd have to make the damage good ( ie remove said top soil and replace it.
Do you have children in the extended family/friends who might play in your garden??? that might kick te Insurance company into action rather than veg!!!

[Flummery]

Night Soil used on the fields years ago was uncomposted contents of the guzunder. iIwon't say it never did anyone any harm - who knows, but that which does not kill us makes us strong! Seriously, if you can get the soil tested it's a bonus but I'd turn it all over with a fork and get on with it.

[flighty1]

hi there, some years back my family & I lived in a little "hamlet" in Lincolnshire. We were surrounded by strawberry & sugar beet fields & the farmer used to collect the contents of our (and others) cess pits. He would remove the contents & put it on his fields. In return we were given as many strawberries as we wanted. It was a bit difficult eating the first one or two, but it was apparently common practice & as far as I am aware never caused any problems

[PAULW]

I agree with FLUM if it had happened in the middle of the growing season with your beds full of produce I might be a bit wary but there is plenty of winter and spring rain to come and any residue should have been washed through the soil before the plants touch it, I worked on a caravan site and we used to get an occasional blockage in the main drain, boy was the grass ever lush around the spillage area

[new2gyo]

Thanks all for your advice. All your comments are really useful and alot of them interesting news i will turn the soil over and get on with it, heres to big crops haha

[Liza]

One of the farmers near me uses dry sewerage in the fields. He has unwanted tomato plants popping up as the seeds go straight through you.

[COMPOST CORNER]

One of the farmers near me uses dry sewerage in the fields. He has unwanted tomato plants popping up as the seeds go straight through you.

I was just about to mention potential invading Toms, we had an overflow at our last house and found some quite good toms near the fence, where the waterboard hadn't been able to clean properly.

I didn't grow veg at the time, but still ate the free tomatoes with no ill effects.

[cupcake]

This happened to us years ago, and OH dumped it on the flowerbeds. I've never had a display like it since!