Portsmouth Water to top-up much loved Pagham pond

The pond is home to a number of swans and cygnets, all of which, according to residents, have been struggling without enough water.

"I have not seen it like that for about ten years,” said resident Georgina Steen.

“And at that point the fire service came down and pumped water into it.

“I’m an animal lover and I’ve lived here all my life, but all that’s left of the pond is a slimey green sludge.

"The animals that live there will die, I think. They need the water."

Jaine Wilde, a spokesperson for West Sussex Wildlife Protection, agreed.

“We need to be keeping what wildlife we have left safe,” she said.

Fortunately, after a number of residents complained, Portsmouth Water has found a viable solution but, aware that it does not constitute a long-term fix, has urged residents to ‘work with the owner of the pond to look to find a permanent solution to the pond’s vulnerability in dry weather’.

A spokesperson said: “When we heard about Lakeview Pond from residents we were also concerned about the impact of the hot dry weather on the wildlife.

"Whilst in the past, as a goodwill gesture, we have topped up the pond from our network, this current hot dry spell has meant we have had to think very carefully about helping again.

"Our underground water resources are under pressure following a period of very low rainfall dating back to January - and as a result of this we have been appealing to our customers to 'use water wisely'.

"Indeed the Bognor area in general has been a focus of much of our effort recently due to the high demands in the peak holiday season.

"So we have had to balance the needs of our customers and the environment.

“I am really pleased to say I think we have found a way to fill the pond without placing too much pressure on our network and we will be looking at doing that as soon as we can get operational needs in place.”