Surfers Against Sewage stages protest in Sussex against sewage pollution in sea

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said it staged the paddle-out protest to ‘raise a stink about the issue of sewage pollution’.

Swimmers, paddlers, surfers, canoers, kayakers, paddle-boarders, and windsurfers took part in the event, which was one of several to take place across the UK, the group said.

Stuart Davies, SAS regional rep for Brighton said: “We are calling for an end to sewage discharges into UK bathing waters and a 90 per cent reduction in sewage discharges by 2030. We are also calling for Southern Water to present a credible plan to reduce sewage pollution in our region.”

Last August Sussex residents expressed their anger after sewage was dumped into eight bathing sites along the Sussex coast in Pagham, Aldwick, Felpham, Littlehampton, Shoreham, Southwick, Saltdean and Seaford, sparking outrage in the community.

Also in August last year, Bexhill and Normans Bay beaches were closed for two days after sewage was discharged into the sea, with Southern Water blaming a failure at its pumping station at Galley Hill for the incident.

Nick Mills, head of Southern Water’s Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force, said: “We are already working to reduce the number of storm overflows, investing significant money to build bigger infrastructure and redesign a legacy Victorian sewer system, as well as using innovative technology and natural solutions. Since privatisation, the quality of our bathing waters has risen from only 28 per cent meeting public health standards, to 94 per cent now rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

“We are investing the money where it’s needed, we have not paid external dividends to shareholders since 2017 and our Chief Executive this week confirmed he would not be taking a bonus in 2023.

“We will be announcing more detail on our own longer-term plan to further improve every single storm overflow requiring action in our region soon, and will be asking customers and stakeholders for their feedback, to ensure we get the balance right between significant investment and keeping bills affordable.”

In relation to concerns about Brighton, he said: “We have already made significant investment in Brighton and have made a major reduction in spills as a result of our seven-mile super sewer lying under the chalk cliffs of Brighton which transfers waste and storm water to our new Peacehaven treatment works, one of the largest and most modern wastewater treatment works in Europe.

"This massive infrastructure project ensures that the 95 million litres of wastewater on average per day generated from Brighton and the surrounding areas is fully treated.”