Residents' fury over sewage flooding roads

They were joining homeowners from other afflicted areas such as Barnham, Nyetimber and Aldingbourne to discuss a common strategy for solving the problem.

The get-together at the Arun Civic Centre was designed to put more pressure on Southern Water to improve the situation.

Linda Smith, the editor of the Elmer Sands newsletter, and former Elmer Sands Ltd committee member Geoff Matcham will be representing the area.

Mrs Smith said a petition to Southern Water was also being launched among residents.

"The existing sewage infrastructure of Elmer Sands is incapable of coping even at times of moderate rainfall.

"During these times, raw sewage escapes through manhole covers round a large area of the estate and residents are unable to use their toilets," she said.

"The petition is to highlight residents' concerns, particularly in the light of the number of new large residential homes being built and bearing in mind that sewage charges have just gone up yet again."

Mrs Smith said the problem with the Elmer Sands pumping station on The Hard was that it dated back at least 25 years.

It was built in the 1930s and designed to serve some 300 holiday chalets.

Its two pumps are now expected to cope with the effluent from some 440 permanent homes.

The main sewers on the estate flow into the pumping station where the contents are pumped away to the Ford treatment works.

It is believed some private estates have been given the right to discharge surface water into the sewers to create extra work for the Ancton and Middleton pumping stations.

If these become inundated, the Elmer pumping station is automatically compromised and its pumps stop.

This will prompt Southern Water to send tankers to clear the blockage but Mrs Smith said that could involve a day.

The flooding last month saw tankers removing effluent almost hourly for 72 hours.

She added that Southern Water had a plan to pump sewage direct to Ford to overcome the problems on Elmer Sands but the scheme would only take place subject to funding.

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