Water companies accused of 'environmental vandalism' after failing to monitor sewage discharges at Seaford beach

The Liberal Democrats have claimed costal service monitoring devices – designed to flag up when sewage discharges occurred – had either not been installed or didn't work "90 per cent of the time”.

In Seaford, a monitor was only working a third of the time, according to a review of data from the Environment Agency.

James MacCleary, Lewes’ Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate, told BBC news: “It’s quite frightening, I use the beach all the time, as a lot of families in this area do.

“Somebody contacted me this week and was really concerned about their children ingesting this water and the health implications of that.

“I think that’s what been quite alarming and frustrating for residents.”

Southern Water has claimed it does not recognise the figures refereed to by the Liberal Democrats.

Last week, Southern Water apologised after pollution warnings were put in place for dozens of beaches across the coastline – after the water supplier discharged overflows to protect homes, schools, businesses and hospitals from flooding.

On Wednesday (August 17), sewage water was pumped out of Newhaven into the sea for five hours between 12pm and 5pm, affecting the bathing water at Seaford beach.

Footage was posted on Twitter of storm sewage being discharged by Southern Water from a sewer overflow – upsetting many as the area in question was a marine protected area – which hundreds of people use to swim in the sea over the summer months.

A spokesperson for the water supplier said: “Southern Water has led the industry in the role out of monitors for its CSO outfalls – we now have 99 per cent coverage and are on course for 100 per cent coverage by next March.

“We can confirm that monitoring is in place in Seaford, Littlehampton and Lee on Solent.

"Furthermore our Beachbuoy app shows in near real time 365 days a year any events on any outfall with the possibility of impacting any of the 84 bathing waters on our 700 miles of coastline.”

MPs from across Sussex have written to Southern Water and the Environment Agency demanding that the Sussex waterways and coast ‘are respected and protected.’

The Lewes Lib Dems have said Conservative MPs, including Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, voted against a ban on sewage dumping in an October 2021 Commons vote.

In response, the Tories have claimed it as “disingenuous and untrue” to suggest MPs backed dumping human waste into rivers.

The government claims the vote in question helped to make amendments to the Environment Act – forcing firms to ensure “progressive reduction in the adverse impact of discharges” from storm overflows.

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Yesterday, Ms Caulfield tweeted: “We need to have a grown up conversation about sewage. Instantly ending outflows doesn’t deal with the sewage we all produce it just moves it elsewhere.

"We voted not to allow that alternative to be our homes, gardens & roads. We voted to design out & end sewage outflows instead.”