Southern Water issued warning over sewage leak into Chichester Harbour

The Environment Agency carried out an investigation into the incident, which took place on August 4.

A spokesman said: ‘We have issued Southern Water with a formal warning after an equipment failure at its wastewater treatment works at Thornham last month led to partially-treated sewage entering a watercourse near Chichester Harbour.

‘Southern Water is very aware of the seriousness with which we view the incident.’

Southern Water has apologised for the incident.

Its spokesman said: ‘We are sorry that a failure at our Wastewater Treatment Works which led to a small release of screened wastewater into the harbour.

‘We take these cases very seriously and carried out a thorough investigation while working with the Environment Agency.

‘While the impact to public health was very low, no amount of pollution is acceptable to us and we are working hard to reduce and eventually stop all incidents.’

Dr Ian Hendy, coastal marine ecologist, University of Portsmouth, and lead science advisor to the ‘Help Our Kelp’ project, said the release of sewage water would have ‘a significant impact to the many marine animals and wildlife in this highly protected area’.

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