Southern Water discharges sewage into Chichester Harbour for more than a month straight

Southern Water’s Beachbuoy app shows that the water company has been releasing sewage into Chichester Harbour since December 23. A total of 774 hours worth of wastewater has been released into the harbour which the company said is made up of 95 per cent rainwater.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We understand the concerns raised by this storm overflow, and people’s wider unhappiness with the UK’s existing network of storm overflows. These were designed as pressure valves following periods of sustained rain and rising groundwater levels, allowing increased flows in our sewers to escape into the environment rather than flooding homes and communities.

“These permitted discharges contain up to 95 per cent rainwater, but we are working hard to reduce our reliance on them. In Chichester alone, we are spending £6.7million on a scheme to reduce the infiltration of groundwater into the sewer network, £20million on a pipeline moving wastewater to our Tangmere treatment site and away from the harbour, and £10m to upgrade the Tangmere works.

”These efforts – in the face of climate change and population growth - are part of wider innovative engineering and nature-based solutions, supported by close partnership working and an emphasis on slowing the flow of surface water into our sewers.”

Save Our Seas Whitstable posted on Twitter: “It's officially been over a month since the ongoing sewage release in Chichester began, on Dec 23rd at 09:26. 747 hours later, we're astonished that we can't find a single Tweet from local MP @GillianKeegan condemning @SouthernWater for this unprecedented environmental assault.”

Last week the water company announced a huge project to help to reduce pollution incidents across the patch by up to 40 per cent.

22,000 smart devices are being installed across Sussex, Hampshire and Kent, Sensors are being installed at vulnerable areas along 39,500km of sewers across the company’s patch which will monitor water levels and the presence of ‘fatbergs’. It has been described as ‘game-changing’ and will help Southern Water engineers take preventative measures against blocked pipes and, ultimately, flooding and sewerage discharges.