Redundant sewage storage tanks in Newport could be brought back into use to help cut the number of spills into the River Medina.
Southern Water has been under fire in recent years for the number of discharges into public water and says it is coming up with solutions.
Speaking at a meeting of the Isle of Wight Council’s harbour committee, Keith Herbert, Southern Water’s area manager, said the public has made it clear discharging storm water when the drainage system gets overwhelmed is now unacceptable.
He said they were slowly working to reduce overflows but still need to discharge in the short term while other solutions are found to prevent flooding.
Newport is served by a combined sewer system — with surface water and foul sewage in the same pipe — and Mr Herbert said he could guarantee if it was a foul-only system no discharges would have to be made.
One way to stop as many discharges was to optimise the use of Southern Water’s sites, so it is to use old sewage works along Fairlee Road.
Mr Herbert said before the bathing season starts in May, 14,000 cubic metres of additional storage will come online and hopefully reduce the number of spills at the site from 90 a year to under 30.
There are 21 wastewater pumping stations in Newport and its surrounding areas that feed the Fairlee Road site before the fluid is transferred to the Sandown Wastewater Treatment Works. The excess flow will be pumped into the redundant storage tanks to detain it until it can be pumped away.
Neil Bell, Southern Water’s network protection enforcement officer, said 23,000 sewer level monitors and alarms have been installed across its system which helps them be proactive in preventing discharges. The water company is proposing other ways of reducing outflows, through its Pathfinder project, including giving water butts to some properties and finding misconnections in the drainage system.
Southern Water’s discharges have to be permitted by the Environment Agency. If they are not, the company faces fines and prosecutions.
Reading this looks like it is only temporary storage as followed by the words “until it can be pumped away” – pumped away to where. SW really need to justify the 9% increase in water charges as they are not actually making any long-term worthwhile improvements to the system at all. Their only interest seems to be share values.
They charge us enough for water and for waste treatment. Absolute sham that they get away with dumping into the river or sea. Imagine paying a waste disposal company to take away waste and you find they have dumped it at the side of the road. You would be wanting it cleared and a refund pretty quickly. So why do SW get away with it? Too many brown envelopes and greedy investors. Not enough public standing up for what’s right in this country
Well are you “standing up for what’s right in this country”? What is your plan? Or are you just a moaner?
He’s not running a water company that makes millions in profit, he doesn’t need a plan you muppet.
“paying a waste disposal company to take away waste and you find they have dumped it at the side of the road”
Unfortunately that happens all too often as well…..
“Keith Herbert, Southern Water’s area manager, said the public has made it clear discharging storm water when the drainage system gets overwhelmed is now unacceptable”
“Now unacceptable”?
Hands up anyone who previously thought pumping raw sh*t into our seas and rivers was an acceptable practice?
My thoughts exactly. What they meant was no one realised – and now they’ve been caught.
“One way to stop as many discharges was to optimise the use of Southern Water’s sites, so it is to use old sewage works along Fairlee Road.”
Why has it taken them so long???
not exactly rocket science is is…
SW: “my bucket of Sh1t is full & overflowing, so I’ll have to dump it into the river!”
Common Sense: “why don’t you pour some of it into the 10 empy buckets that are next to you ?”
SW: “Oh,.. I hadn’t though of that !”
This situation will not change as more and more houses are connected to the sewage system that is already not fit for purpose.