Southern Water: Midhurst councillors visit treatment plant to see for themselves

With many sharing concerns about Southern Water’s record on waste water flowing out into the river Rother, the river Lavant, and the coastal areas of the Chichester district, Midhurst town councillors decided to take a look at one site for themselves.

Cllrs Richard Watts, Don Fraser and Jeanette Sutton went along to the water company’s treatment centre in South Ambersham.

Making the trip on Wednesday (May 18), they were shown around the whole facility, about two miles from Midhurst, and were instructed in the entire process of dealing with Midhurst, Easebourne and surrounding area’s waste.

Cllr Jeanette Sutton said: “They invited the town council because they have a bad reputation but they are actually very proud of what they are doing there — and rightly so.

"They are passionate about their jobs. I would recommend anybody who can get a trip around there to go.”

Councillors then advised residents further, and said in a statement: “Using rainwater for your plants is better than using drinking water and every bit saved in soakaways or better still water butts is water they don’t have to deal with.

“Second is only put things down the toilet that should go down the toilet. Seeing a skip full of stuff that arrives at the treatment centre that has to be filtered out is a nasty sight. No wet wipes, no sanitary products, no rubber gloves, no nappy products.

“Third, save water, don’t flush unless you need to, shower rather than bathe if you can and especially when it’s raining, think of all that water ending up in South Ambersham to be dealt with along with the sewage.

“Realising that rainwater and sewage all end up in the same place seems wasteful but that is the system we have and we all need to do what we can to avoid Southern Water having to send overflow water into

the rivers until it is properly treated.

“If we all do our best to minimize waste water and to save rainwater, to only flush what should be flushed, it will all help.”