Southern Water to replace 5km of water mains in East Sussex village as part of £2.5m scheme to tackle 'bursts and leaks'

It said the £2.5 million project in Fairlight is set to start in September.

Chair of the Fairlight Pathfinder Group Sally-Ann Hart welcomed the news.

She said the work will help ‘tackle repeated bursts’ in Fairlight, adding there had been seven in the past three years alone.

Mrs Hart said the scheme is the result of ‘sustained local pressure and partnership’ through the Fairlight Pathfinder Group, which brings together residents, councillors, Southern Water, and other agencies.

She said: “This is a great example of what can be achieved when communities come together and push for change.

“Residents in Fairlight and Pett Level have experienced far too many water bursts and flooding incidents. This project is a vital step in making the system more resilient and protecting local homes and the environment.”

She added while the community welcomes the investment, the Pathfinder Group is asking for further clarity on the phasing of works, how disruption will be minimised, and how outcomes will be monitored over time.

Mrs Hart said: “We want to make sure residents are kept fully informed, that local access and safety are prioritised during the works, and that the improvements deliver long-term benefits. I’m proud of the role the Pathfinder Group has played in getting us to this point, and we’ll continue working to make sure it’s done right.”

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We’re excited that we will start a £2.5m water mains replacement programme in and around Fairlight, with work set to start in September.

“This work will help make our network in the area more resilient and will reduce bursts and leaks. The project will involve replacing around 5km of mains. We will share further details about this scheme and where we will be carrying out work in the summer.”

Southern Water said the Fairlight catchment was specifically chosen as a Pathfinder project due to current and historical occurrences of flooding and current storm overflow performance in the area.

The original Fairlight sewer network acts as a combined sewer, where both rainwater and foul water connect to the network, the company said.

Southern Water said the system now experiences significant excess water in the network, which has resulted in numerous storm overflow discharges and property flooding.