Southern Water unveils £103m plan to tackle sewage discharges in Portsmouth - including installing water butts and new drainage systems

It forms part of a £1.5bn Clean Rivers and Seas Plan by the company to identify the cause of blockages, build ups and other issues which it says should to cut the number of emergency spills of sewage by 8,000 a year by 2035. This approach has been illustrated by an interactive map, allowing people to click on individual outfalls to see exactly what Southern Water is doing to reduce overflows in their area.

Among the areas being looked at is the north and the west of the city where too much rainwater getting into the network and the Fort Cumberland Stormwater Tanks where there are multiple issues. Areas in Fareham, Gosport, Emsworth and Wickham will also be looked at as part of Southern Water’s action plan.

Southern Water said it has already invested heavily in improving the resilience and capacity of its Budds Farm Wastewater Treatment Works which treats the wastewater from homes across Portsmouth, Havant, Hayling Island, Waterlooville, Horndean and Hambledon. It’s plan includes proposals for an additional £103 million investment at the site, and in the local area to fund the installation of 7,000 household water butts and 7,000 sustainable drainage systems in local businesses, schools and care homes. We will also install 2,000 sustainable roadside rain gardens and tree pits to redirect and slow run-off entering the sewer.It pointed to recent success on the Isle of Wight where it said there was a staggering 70 per cent reduction in spills at the nearest storm outfall after it introduced water butts to most of the houses on a nearby street.

Its Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force, made up of environmental scientists and industry experts, has also created solutions within the natural environment such as rain gardens and tree planting schemes.

The first phase of Southern Water’s plan, which includes the investment in Portsmouth, will take place between 2025 and 2030 and will see an investment of £700 million to focus on areas such as shellfish and bathing waters, and environmentally sensitive sites. This means by 2030, spills will reduce by 3,000 a year, Southern Water said. However customers are invited to give feedback on the proposals before it is finalised.

ALSO READ: Portsmouth sewage spill sites revealed by interactive map

Southern Water said it understands customers want to see change now.

In a statement the company said: “We face tough choices in striking a balance between environmental protection and minimising the impact on bills for customers. Although customers will notice the impact reflected in their bills, the average water bill is one of the lowest household bills. Some of the work will take a long time, but we are committed to investing the time and expertise to go as quickly as possible. This is why we are asking our customers for their feedback on our Clean Rivers and Seas Plan so they can tell us if they agree with how we are prioritising overflows in our region before we agree it with Ofwat, our regulator.”

CEO of Southern Water, Lawrence Gosden, said the company was taking customer concerns seriously. It said by 2030, 50 per cent of high priority overflows will meet government targets, reducing spills by 3,000 a year, and that by 2035, 75 per cent of high priority overflows will meet government targets, reducing spills by 8,000 a year.

He said: “I’ve heard our customers’ concerns, and we take our impact on the environment seriously. We have a long-term strategy to 2050 that will restore and protect our regions’ rivers and coastal habitats and a large part of that will be to get to the root cause of storm overflows.

“We cannot simply switch storm overflows off. But by implementing this Clean Rivers and Seas Plan and tackling the root cause, slowing the flow of rainwater going into the combined sewer, whilst increasing capacity of our network, we can reduce their use.”

“Collaboration is key, and we cannot achieve the results needed alone. That is why we are calling on our customers and local authorities to work with us and adopt solutions like water butts or sustainable drainage systems, to channel rainwater safely and slowly back into the environment. Together, we can go faster and further, protecting our communities and our environment.”

Environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage said the plan was a “step in the right direction” with nature-based solutions such as wetlands being implemented.

But the marine conservation campaigners added that customers seeing this reflected in their bills was “outrageous”.

Surfers Against Sewage communications chief Josh Harris said: “Southern Water have overseen decades of mismanagement of our sewerage network, all the while paying the fat cats at the top huge pay and bonuses. Why should customers foot the bill?”

The charity added that through its water monitoring app, Safer Seas and Rivers Service, which receives sewage alerts from water companies, Southern Water has issued 14,931 alerts this year.

Mr Harris added: “They are top tier polluters and we won’t fall for their empty promises, or let them continue to profit off the destruction of our rivers and seas.”

For more details about the plan visit www.southernwater.co.uk/water-for-life/clean-rivers-and-seas-plan/map.