"Grim" sewage spills of human waste found in Newhaven
People in Newhaven have found human waste spilling out of over-flowing sewers into their back gardens.
Lewes District councillor Sean Macleod said heavy rain in the town last week lead to overflowing sewers flooding footpaths on Avis Way and around Paradise Park.
Councillor Macleod told SussexWorld these areas now ‘reek’ as they are covered in human waste and toilet paper, having also been found in the back gardens of houses on Powell Gardens.
He said: “It’s grim, it absolutely reeks down there. There are people having to walk through this mess. The sewage water is flowing into a coy pond at Paradise Park, so it’s also affecting the wildlife in the town.
“The infrastructure can’t cope, there a 1000 new homes still to come in Newhaven and the current structures can’t cope as it is.”
The waste was first spotted by members of the public on Thursday and was not cleaned up by Southern Water until yesterday afternoon (January 24).
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Councillor Macleod said: “I’ve been in contact so many times, they first told us they were coming out on Friday and didn't come and now it has turned into ‘we will turn up when we can’.”
A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We’re very sorry for any distress caused as a result of flooding in Avis Way, Newhaven. We have been working with the local authority over the weekend, following a rise in groundwater in the area, and have arranged a clean up with our contractors. This will be completed this afternoon.”