Southern Water is to discuss its proposed plans to reduce storm overflows when they host a public meeting in Gurnard on Friday (24th June).
Some 5 months after their meeting with Gurnard Parish Council in January – where they discussed the issues and the effect it has on the local area – the water company would like to welcome members of the public to a questions and answers session.
Following a Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) report indicating that between October 2020 and September 2021, Gurnard had 321 discharges – the highest incident of sewage discharge in the UK – locals pushed for action on how to reduce the problem.
Back in November of 2021 Southern Water launched a task force to reduce storm overflows by 80% by 2030 as part of its zero-tolerance approach to pollution.
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 repeatedly clear that 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.
Junes meeting will be held at Gurnard Village Hall on Westbrook Lane (PO31 8EU) on Friday 24th June between 18:00-20:00.
1.5 Billion investment?
Where did they get that money?
From overcharging us, that’s where.
Since 2010 Southern water has been fined 219 Million pounds for releasing polluted water into our rivers and sea.
They are happy to pay this as it would cost them more to remedy the situation.
Since they were privatised it’s all about money and stuff the environment.
Stop paying your water bills. It’s the only language they understand.
i was shocked i thought this ended many years ago…2022 discusting what a modern country we are.Ibet we get about £10.50 spent on the island..kers.
shouldn’t build so many houses then – as this is a natural consequence.
concreting over fields and flood plains, just means the water runs off rather than being soaked up by the ground and permeating through to the water table. That run off ends up in the storm drains, which cannot cope with it.
this issue has been created by policies of building houses, nothing more