Extinction Rebellion members pour fake sewage outside Southern Water HQ in Sussex

In the striking protest this morning (Monday, March 13), rebels unfurled banners and delivered a letter to Southern Water in Yeoman Road. Inside contained a list of demands including for the water company to ‘stop illegally pouring untreated sewage into waterways’.

Extinction Rebellion (XR), which oversaw a similar protest outside Thames Water in Reading, has claimed that water companies pumped raw sewage into Britain’s seas and rivers for more than nine million hours over 2016-2021 – ‘an increase of 2,553 per cent over five years’.

"Climate change is increasing the likelihood of heavy or intense rainfall across the UK,” an XR spokesperson said. “This leads to higher risks of river and surface water flooding, which puts pressure on water and sewage systems.

"Research shows the sewage overspills result from lack of infrastructure investment which leads to environmental deterioration and presents a human health hazard and puts biodiversity at risk.”

Tom Maidment, 38 – a sales manager from Uckfield – said the amount of sewage illegally dumped into waterways ‘make them unusable and unsafe’ for the local population and ‘deadly to local wildlife’.

He said water companies’ attitude towards the issue is ‘as disgusting as what they’re pumping out’.

Brighton-based Nicola Harries, 68, said her young grandchildren ‘love to play in the sea’ but their health and that of all sea swimmers and water sport enthusiasts are ‘at serious risk’.

"This is completely unacceptable and must stop,” she added.

This latest protest comes after concerned environmentalists displayed banners and posters outside the Southern Water headquarters on Friday to protest against the ‘dumping of sewage into our seas’.

In a statement, Southern Water: “We are aware of this demonstration, and understand the concerns of those involved.

"At Southern Water, we play our part in improving the standard of bathing waters, through major investments in treatment works along our 700 miles of coast – and we are working hard to extend our efforts and partnerships with other agencies to make an even bigger positive impact. This includes an industry-leading approach to reducing the use of storm overflows when increased surface and groundwater enter our sewers.

“We’re investing £2 billion (around £1,000 per household) between 2020 and 2025 and we haven’t paid a dividend to shareholders since 2017, preferring instead to put our money into improving our network and infrastructure.”

Extinction Rebellion is inviting everyone to Westminster from April 21 to ‘demand a safer, more equal future for all’. ​Find out more here: https://extinctionrebellion.uk/the-big-one/

The environmental campaign group has started its ‘Dirty Water’ campaign against the ‘dreadful and deteriorating’ state of the UK’s waterways.

They said: “It builds on the work already done by Extinction Rebellion Deep Water but is a campaign for everyone to get involved in from water users and nature groups to concerned citizens.”

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