As the days grow longer, many of us are looking forward to spending more time on our beautiful beaches. One of my top priorities as MP for Bexhill and Battle is to do what I can to help tackle the ongoing issue of water pollution in our rivers and bathing waters. This is a matter that many constituents regularly contact me about, often sharing ‘Pollution Risk Forecasts’ (PRFs) from the Environment Agency or combined sewerage overflow (CSO) release alerts from Surfers Against Sewage. I’ve done my best to respond to all of you on this issue and will continue to keep you updated as I receive new information from experts in the field.
Since becoming MP, I’ve been working closely with professionals to understand the primary causes of pollution affecting Bexhill’s bathing water. The Environment Agency, which independently monitors and issues water quality alerts, has made it clear that only around 10% of the pollution risk alerts they send out are likely due to sewage discharges from Southern Water’s combined sewer overflows. In fact, the majority of PRF alerts are likely from other sources.
For example, there is evidence that water draining into and from the Egerton Park stream or entering the system via the surface water sewer system, is likely the main source of pollution of Bexhill bathing waters. Heavy rainfall, particularly after a dry period, can carry bird and dog faeces, as well as other waste from urban surfaces, into the water. The Environment Agency then picks up the presence of the associated bacteria in their regular testing and uses it to model when this might be happening on a day-to-day basis. The testing of the pollution isn’t live and there will be times when a warning is sent out when it would have otherwise been safe to swim.
Another source of pollution is illegal connections and leaking sewers. Southern Water’s investigations have identified some illegal connections (private foul drains connected to surface water drains) and leaking foul sewers near surface water systems. While there have been successes in locating and correcting these issues, much work remains.
These complexities illustrate why improving Bexhill’s bathing water quality will take time. It’s important to have realistic expectations about how quickly we’ll see noticeable improvements. If we think this problem is largely caused by Southern Water, no matter how much they do we will be left disappointed if we still get the same risk of pollution warnings.
However, Southern Water does of course have a critical role in cleaning up our rivers and seas by reducing CSO releases. For those who are not aware, CSO releases are often the result of heavy rain. The system was developed to prevent the combination of clean rainwater and wastewater from toilets, bathrooms and kitchens overwhelming our sewage system as they are conveyed in the same pipe to a sewage treatment works. Due to the potential for this combination to then backup and flood people’s homes, or public areas, CSOs act as an emergency release valve. Though it has been concerning to note that Southern Water recently had CSO discharges in Bexhill on days without any rainfall. I’ve written to them to demand a clear explanation for this.
To ensure Southern Water is held accountable, I have requested reduction targets for discharges and a list of specific steps they are going to take to tackle them by and when. These targets will allow us to assess the effectiveness of Southern Water’s system upgrades and better understand the other factors contributing to pollution in our sea. By addressing these issues collectively, we can work towards reducing their impact and confidently enjoy our incredible beaches.
Please rest assured, I am fully committed to doing what I can to tackle this critical issue.
