Southern Water 'worst offender' for sewage discharges during dry weather this year, Surfers Against Sewage report claims

The report from the campaign group has analysed sewage discharge data from water companies, alongside Met Office weather records.

The group claims that Southern Water is responsible for four times as many ‘dry spills’ – discharges during periods of little or no rain falls – as the next worst offender, South West Water. The report found 146 instances of ‘dry spilling’ sewage into bathing water in the last 12 months.

This summer alone, coasts across the country have been hit by sewage releases 5,504 times.

Now the MP for Portsmouth South, Stephen Morgan, is calling for water companies to end polluting practices – and blase directors should be struck off or even sent to prison over the most serious offences.

The Labour MP said: ‘Our country’s water system is ageing and at bursting point, with poor planning and neglect of our vital infrastructure. Surfers Against Sewage’s latest water quality report is a shocking reminder of the scale of this problem across the UK’s waterways.

‘Portsmouth people should be able to enjoy our city’s superb seaside and areas of natural beauty, without having to worry about encountering filthy sewage.

‘I will continue to campaign for mandatory monitoring of all sewage outlets, automatic fines for discharges, and powers to be given to the Environment Agency to properly enforce rules and a legally binding target to end pollution.

‘If water companies continue to damage our environment directors should be struck off, with prison sentences for the most serious offences.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth City Council wants signs on beaches for Southern Water pollution - but says water company must pay for them

It follows the Conservative leader of Havant Borough Council labelling Southern Water’s track record as ‘criminal’ and a ‘failure’, leading to council members to vote to review the water company’s data on wastewater infrastructure.

The firm’s Budds Farm Water Treatment facility in the borough was targeted by protesters organised by Unite the Union last week, calling for a public meeting to be held in Portsmouth to address residents’ concerns.

A number of protests against Southern Water have taken place over the past few years – including an event by the Mayday Action group in Emsworth last weekend, with Stop The Sewage in Southsea also staging a colourful protest in October, as well as back in 2021.

Responding to the criticism of the firm’s practices, a representative said: ‘We recognise that there is a still long way for our industry to go, but here at Southern Water we have and continue to make improvements every day.

‘We are spending £600m in 2022 to improve our network; and a further £350m on securing supply for our customers, including a new reservoir in Havant.

‘We haven’t paid a dividend to shareholders since 2017, and are putting our money into improving our network and infrastructure and, in total, we plan to invest £2 billion (c. £1,000 per household) between 2020 and 2025.’