Thanks for all your replies, wise and helpful as usual. To answer a few questions: I live on a Terrace of 18 former mining cottages, which stands alone next to a B road. The little sewage works deals with our street and probably a couple of other houses further up the hill.
The information about what was tipped, where and how much came from the Northumbrian Water people who came to pump it out. They said they removed 20 gals of dirty engine oil from the settlement tank. They own this and are responsible for our sewage too.
I guess what scruff9252 says is true: it’s a combined storm drain/sewage works. Not sure when it was built but probably when people started getting indoor netties in the 60’s or 70’s.
As someone asked, we don’t have mains gas here so some people do use oil including both our neighbours so at first we suspected a leak. It possible that this is true and we have two problems to deal with, but since others people at houes further along the street have also complained about a smell of oil in the house it would seem a weird coincidence.
The only guy who does his own mechanicking has lived here over 40 years and is as sound as they come. Their house is one that’s been hit by the smell and they alerted NW while I called the Environmental Agency. NW say they are treating it as a major incident which means they will investigate it but who knows what that might amount to.
The whole thing seems very strange. Why would anyone choose to tip the oil into the drains on a street directly overlooked by all the houses?
We had already thought about calling our insurance company and I think that might be the next step.
The worst smell is in the cupboard where our washing machine lives and it’s too heavy and confined for me to pull it out.
