Month-long sewage dump into Chichester Harbour was 'incorrect data', Southern Water says

The water company’s own software, Beachbuoy, which collects data from wastewater outflow pipes across the Sussex coast showed data that said there had been a continuous discharge since December 23, more than 900 hours worth.

According to the company’s director of environment and quality told Sussex World and The Chichester Observer this week that there were actually ‘19 short releases’, all of which had been permitted by the Environment Agency.

In a statement, Toby Willison, Southern Water’s director of environment and quality, said: “We are aware of reports of a long-running storm overflow into Chichester Harbour, and understand the concerns caused as a result. Unfortunately, an error on our Beachbuoy tool incorrectly indicated a release from Thornham running from December 23 through to January 18. In fact, there were 19 short releases, with a much smaller overall flow volume, and all permitted by the Environment Agency. Following significant rainfall in recent weeks, these flows were almost entirely made up of groundwater, which had found its way into our sewer pipes.

“Excess flows like these are meant to be released via the UK’s existing network of storm overflows, to avoiding flooding people’s homes and communities. However, we know this is not an acceptable system moving forwards. This is why we have made reducing storm overflows our biggest priority, and we are already leading the water industry in exploring innovative engineering and nature-based solutions to how we can separate surface and groundwater from our network.

“We are already running six Pathfinder Projects, bringing together multiple partner agencies, to remove or ‘slow the flow’ of water getting into our sewers. By testing new approaches and concepts we can demonstrate that effective interventions can be delivered by working closely with community groups and local authorities. For example, on the Isle of Wight we have seen a significant reduction in storm overflows by the rollout of water butts in customers’ gardens.

“Ultimately, solving this problem will take significant investment, time and partnership working – all of which we are committed to, now and into the future.”