Southern Water’s 24/7 crisis response in Sussex

A spokesperson for Souther Water said ‘major preparation work and huge 24/7 crisis response’ was what kept Sussex going through Storm Eunice.

The company’s chief operating officer Lawrence Gosden said customer impact was ‘minimised’ as a result.

Lots was done to prepare including mobile generators being installed, water tankers on stand-by, and bottled water stockpiled.

Mr Gosden said, “We’ve had very many sites hit by power outages but prudent pre-event mobilisation and crisis response has kept our customers served in all but a small number of places. Strong winds and power outages continue so continued vigilance is needed.”

John Penicud, head of wastewater treatment, said, “We have faced challenges across the region with hundreds of wastewater sites - ranging from treatment sites to the smallest pumping stations - losing power. We are pleased that currently we have had no major spills or pollutions and this has been no mean feat. All our customers continued to be able to use their facilities as normal.”