Swimmers unaware of raw sewage

Hastings magistrates heard last Friday how sewage spilled into the sea at Cooden Beach, on August 10, 2002.

The incident occurred when both pumps at Cooden Sea Road pumping station failed.

According to Southern Water, they were unaware of the failure because a newly-installed control unit had interfered with the alarm system.

This meant the alarms did not go off signalling the problem.

Raw sewage spilled into the Channel for several hours before Southern Water was notified by an Environment Agency officer.

Southern Water Services Ltd pleaded guilty to the incident after they were prosecuted by the Environment Protection Agency.

The company was fined 3,700 and ordered to pay costs of 1,324.

Peter Bilbrough, prosecuting for the Environment Agency, said: "This was a fine August Saturday and there were people in the sea in the vicinity of the outfall who did not appear to be aware of the discharge."

Clifford Darton, barrister for Southern Water, said: "There is no evidence that there was damage to health or the environment."

During the sentencing the magistrate said they were satisfied Southern Water was taking every precaution.

A statement from Southern Water after the verdict said: "The company apologises for the incident and believes it was a one-off event. The control unit has been checked and reconfigured and, like others installed at pumping stations in the Bexhill area, is now operating successfully.

"Southern Water, which has invested a total of 100 million in improving wastewater treatment standards in Bexhill and Hastings, regrets all pollution incidents."

Commenting on the case, Joseph Giacomelli, spokesman for the Environment Agency said, "In this day and age all those who handle polluting matter are expected to take care that the environment does not suffer as a result.

"It is of great concern to the Environment Agency that in the case of a pumping station so close to the sea that a new piece of equipment was put in place without being thoroughly tested.

"As a result of that failure, not only was there a serious pollution incident but it happened to take place on a popular holiday beach at a time when it would inevitably be well used by holidaymakers."