Gillian recently wrote to the Environment Agency about storm overflows at South Harting wastewater treatment works after reports suggested the performance at the site was extremely poor.
Below is the EA's response:
Thank you for your email of 15 November 2021 regarding storm overflows from South Harting wastewater treatment works (WwTW).
We are working with the water industry and its regulator, OFWAT, across England to ensure that storm overflows are further controlled. Event and duration monitoring (EDM) and reporting of storm overflows is part of this approach.
We required Southern Water Services to install EDM on the storm discharge at South Harting WwTW in 2020. We have reviewed the data and identified that South Harting is spilling more frequently than we would expect. We have required Southern Water to provide more detailed information which we will review to ensure the WwTW is in compliance with its permit.
South Harting WwTW is in the Water Industry National Environment Programme for investment. This will reduce the level of nutrients being discharged from the WwTW and will be in place by December 2024. By March 2025 the works will also have improvements to increase the amount of effluent that is passed forward for treatment and this will reduce the frequency of storm overflows.
I trust that this is helpful.
