RESIDENTS say they are living in a sewer and have called for flood defences as their homes are frequently contaminated with toxic water.
Picturesque Diglis Avenue has been dubbed by its residents as the most frequently flooded street on the River Severn and possibly UK – but it is not just river water that enters their homes.
Lynn Smith, who has lived on the street for 29 years, said: “In Diglis, there is an overflow outlet for sewage systems, so it is perfectly placed to send that waste down the river.
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“So the water that comes into our house is a toxic mix.
“When we talk to you about water, we might not get the solids in the house, but we are getting that broken down.
“That is the reality we face and that is the stuff people don’t know.
Lynn Smith has lived on Diglis Avenue in Worcester for 29 years. (Image: Newsquest)
“When you go into the detail of it, I have been in the garden, and there has been solid waste, tampons, condoms, sanitary towels – you would be surprised what people put down the toilet.
“We are living in a sewer.”
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When Ms Smith first moved onto the street in 1997, flooding was a once-in-a-25-year occurrence – since 2007, this has become almost a yearly event.
Now, residents say even after raising their floors to the maximum legal height, they face being flooded up to five times a year and the threat keeps rising.
“If you extend the curve of flooding we have now, any house-based defence is going to be futile – there is only one way to deal with it and that is by blocking the water from getting into the house,” Ms Smith added.
WATERLOGGED: Gardens on Diglis Avenue get completely submerged in River Severn water several times a year. (Image: Diglis Flood Relief Action Group)
Residents have now set up Diglis Flood Relief Action Group (DFRAG) to campaign for a flood wall to be installed across the bottom of their gardens.
One resident who has lived on the street since 1995 said everything about life on the street is influenced by flooding, from what furniture to buy to checking water levels daily.
But he said in May 2026, the Environment Agency cited that flood defences for Diglis Avenue were not “economically viable”.
FLOODING: Kitchen cabinets in homes are raised in some houses in Diglis Avenue to protect them from flooding. (Image: Diglis Flood Relief Action Group)
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“Think about what that means to us – it means that our homes are not worth saving because, in 60 years’ time, these houses would have fallen down because our foundations have been eroded,” he said.
“If our homes are not worth saving, then what value is being put on the health and well-being of the people inside them?”
IDEAS: Residents on Diglis Avenue have creative ways, such as placing furniture on crates, to prevent flood damage. (Image: Diglis Flood Relief Action Group)
“The tragedy is that the solution is not complex.
“They are writing off people’s homes and the people themselves – it’s part of the psychological impact of this, we are valueless people.”
Homes on Diglis Avenue are insured thanks to a government fund, but cover is set to run out in 2039, further alleviating concerns.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “We know the devastating impact that flooding can have, which is why reducing flood risk for people and communities is our top priority.
“We have worked with the community in Diglis to help make them more resilient and better prepared for flooding however unfortunately are not able to take forward further options that are financially or economically viable at this stage.
A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: “We understand residents’ concerns regarding the impact of flooding on property and the community in Diglis and we would be pleased to see the EA able to construct a flood defence scheme.
“We do however appreciate that currently the EA aren’t able to take forward a financially or economically viable option for a flood defence scheme in Diglis.
“We hope that any requests taken forward to the Government for additional funding beyond the EA’s normal processes is successful.
“We will continue to support the residents as we have done for many years. We have already commissioned a specialist charity to help the local community group, surveyed and maintaining drainage, amending highway infrastructure and funding improvements to the residents’ emergency access route. We will continue to liaise with the local community.”
