Sewer system is "pushed to the absolute limits" Chichester MP says as Southern Water battles burst sewage pipe

The statement, from Chichester MP Jessica Brown-Fuller, comes after a mains pipe burst on Almodington Lane in Earnley over the weekend. Southern Water engineers are on site, working to resolve the issue, and a fleet of tankers is patrolling the manhood peninsula to offer outfall relief.

Responding to a request for comment yesterday, a spokesperson for the water company said teams were working 'around the clock’ to repair the burst main, and apologised for disruption caused to residents and businesses.

Tankers are emptying pumping stations in Birdham, Bracklesham and the Witterings – and, for Jessica Brown Fuller, this weekend’s woes are a symptom of a much broader problem. She says residents are used to seeing tankers on the manhood peninsula whenever there’s an increase in rainfall, and renewed her call for a cahange of tact when it comes to infrastructure and planning policy.

“This is yet another alarming example of a sewer system being pushed to the absolute limits, with a lack of infrastructure along the peninsula to cope with the increased road usage from the tankers,” she said. “Most importantly, the 58% increase in government mandated housing targets are a huge cause for concern and this Labour government seem resolute in ignoring our cries for greater protections against large scale development with no infrastructure or protections for our natural environment.

"I will be writing to Steve Reed and Angela Rayner, as I have done before, using this example to highlight the immense pressure the peninsula is under and asking for a review of the housing target.”

The burst comes after years of complaints from locals that the sewage system is overworked and overloaded, contributed to by ongoing developments in Bracklesham and East Wittering, coupled with concerns that the area’s narrow country roads are not well-suited to either sewage tankers, or the heavy construction vehicles required by large-scale developments.

It also follows a similar incident in Aldwick, near Bognor Regis, during which a burst pipe flooded homes, properties and roads over the course of several days earlier this year.