Southern Water is set to invest around £20 million in a major programme of work aimed at reducing storm overflows across the Isle of Wight, with projects planned for Newport, Ryde, East Cowes, West Cowes, Gurnard and the West Wight.
The water company says the 2-year programme will help protect the Isle of Wight’s rivers, coastline and bathing waters by investigating the causes of storm overflows and delivering both short-term improvements and longer-term infrastructure projects.
The investment has been made possible through accelerated funding approved by industry regulator Ofwat, allowing investigations and planning work to begin earlier than originally scheduled.
Southern Water says the Isle of Wight has already been the focus of innovative trials to reduce storm overflows, with around £9 million previously invested in testing a range of potential solutions.
Over the next 2 years, engineers will continue investigations at key locations across the Island while identifying ‘quick fix’ measures alongside larger schemes that will take longer to deliver. Once those projects have been completed, attention will turn to the remaining storm overflows.
Overall, Southern Water expects to invest around £20 million in the programme.
Graham Williamson, Project Manager for the Isle of Wight, has said:
“The Isle of Wight is home to some of the UK’s most treasured rivers, coastlines and bathing waters, and we are determined to play our part in protecting them.
“By combining targeted investment, innovation and practical action, we can significantly reduce the frequency and volume of storm overflows and create a cleaner, healthier and more resilient environment for future generations.
“We are building on the knowledge, expertise and local insight we have already gained to focus investment where it will have the greatest impact.
“This includes delivering sustainable drainage solutions that slow the flow of rainwater, separating surface water from homes, schools and commercial buildings, and continuing to improve the performance and resilience of our existing network.”
The announcement follows increasing public concern over sewage discharges into rivers and coastal waters, particularly around designated bathing beaches, with Southern Water saying the latest investment is designed to accelerate improvements across some of the Isle of Wight’s most environmentally sensitive areas.
To little to late, we have had enough of the promises and the let downs, time for action, time for complaint to the regulatory authorities
Absolutely bang on they knew weather/climate change was on the way and spent millions on video blogs then social media blogs paying students etc to debunk climate change so they could keep coining it in,pay the shareholders premium dividends and no maintenance unless needed policy ,well it’s here now,the Sinners are not going to go back to our “childhood days”!they will get hotter and floods in Winter you knew this and did “bug.. all about it”karma is boring you in your rich fat arses.
They aren’t doing it out of goodwill, they’ve been pocketing our money for far too long whilst poisoning us and our water, and now they are finally being held to account and made to fix things. Now if they can stop banning me from using my hose 2 or three times a year at the only time of year I want to use it that would be nice.
Water companies business is based on a false and outdated model. they shout we will off course reduce water and sewage overflows not for any altruistic reason but to reduce the occasions when they get fined. will they ever say we will eradicate the issue , no ,but they can, and it is not rocket science just requires a total change in their business operatng systems This wondrous government wants another one million homes within the next five years when there is not one water company in the UK than can cope with the issues they have today.
Victorian pipes and sewers were so good that generations of water companies have done sod-all maintenance and pocketed the cash. Now they are all coming to their natural end and money needs to be spent, but they have got so used to their dividends that they don’t want to change. And please stop calling it ‘storm overflow’. We are experiencing a long heatwave, no storms in sight, and they are still pouring poo into the sea. It’s just ‘overflow’ due to lack of capacity and failure to keep up with the increase in paying customers.