Southern Water is launching a task force this week to cut storm overflows by 80% by 2030 as part of the company’s zero-tolerance approach to pollution.
The task force is part of a wider programme of investment to deliver a step-change in water quality in the area, including here on the Isle of Wight.
Storm overflows are heavily regulated releases of wastewater during rainfall to protect people’s homes and businesses and other properties from the misery of flooding. They are an integral part of the Victorian-era sewage system. Storm overflows typically occur during periods of heavy rainfall and are more than 95% rainwater.
Southern Water’s customers have made it clear the use of storm releases is no longer acceptable. The company’s open and transparent storm release data – available in near real-time on its industry-leading Beachbuoy service – has had an important role in making people more aware of when and where these releases happen.
The task force will work in tandem with Southern Water’s £1.5billion investment programme, which is on track to reduce by 80% all pollution incidents by 2025. It will take a cross-sector approach to working with local stakeholders to find innovative practical solutions to cut overflows.
Focusing on nature-based solutions – such as ponds and wetlands, soakaways and rain gardens – alongside an increase in storage has the potential to become a game-changer. The most efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to cut the use of storm overflows is to separate rainwater from the sewer system. Work by Southern Water in the summer showed that by reducing the amount of rainwater run-off from roads and roofs entering the pipeline system by around 40% would mean an 80% reduction in storm overflows.
Ian McAulay, Southern Water’s CEO, said:
“There is a growing call to take action to reduce the frequency and impact of storm overflows. That is a task of scale and complexity and needs multi-sector collaboration and a join up of policy to make it happen, which of course appears difficult today.
Article continues below this advertisement “However, just twenty years ago, the quality of our coastal waters needed to improve drastically. Today, reflecting significant investment driven by focused policy, all 83 of our regional bathing waters meet strict European Standards and a total of 78 are rated excellent or good.
“Delivering a similar transformation in the reduction of storm releases is the logical next step and we believe this can be achieved. We will play our part in leading and driving the collaboration and investment needed.”
Focusing on nature-based solutions – such as ponds and wetlands, soakaways and rain gardens
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won’t be any of the above, if idiots keep building houses on the very land these areas cover.
I think developers should be forced to pay for some of this as it is their new builds which are adding to the problem.
Its 2021.. and your “Zero Tolerance” approach to tackle your own problem(Your the water company that we pay for so don’t tell me its our fault!) of dumping waste into the sea is to commit to a 80% decrease BY 2030… Absolutely scandalous. I hope all of there shareholders are taking 0% increases between now and 2030
“Zero-tolerance approach” – ho, ho.
And don’t blame the shareholders, blame the diretors. And the political clowns who privatised vital utilities in the first place.
It’s a bit rich trying to shift blame onto the Victorian system. When that was built, there was a fraction of the population we have now, so storm overflows would have been very rare event. IF you had invested in increasing the physical capacity of the system to keep up with increasing population, instead of sitting on your laurels and raking in the dividends, then maybe we would not be in this inexcusable situation!
If Southern Water used the fee they charge every bill, for run off from their property on to highway, and on updating the system and investing in senior staff both here and on the mainland that care about the environment the result would be different!! The management both clear Water waste water and island manager are a disgrace and more worried about the share holders and the fat cat pay packet than anything else ! The whole lot should be sacked !!