Gillian organised and hosted a panel event to discuss sewage discharges.
Joining her were representatives from Southern Water, Ofwat, Environment Agency, Natural England, RSPB, and Chichester Harbour Conservancy. The event was chaired by Lawrence Abel
Post-event questions from the chat function
Southern Water
Why, after very little rain (there was absolutely not a storm event) in August, rendering large parts of the coastline un-swimmable and rivers full of excrement?
If 90% of storm discharges are monitored, does that mean we know the volumes of discharges?
Do we know the overall content of those discharges – N, P, solids, bacterium types etc.? [52 sec]
Can someone from Southern Water explain the change in the Beachbuoy app and why it doesn’t now show every CSO release?
I have been told that Southern Water is about to go bust. How true is that? What percentage of the recent £1bn that was pumped in went on debt repayment? Why is Southern Water structured to be loaded with debt to make virtually no money and pay low tax and to then plead for more money from the government? How much further down the line of resolving this hideous issue would we be if Southern hadn’t been paying dividends to the shareholders?
Can we have a plan to separate groundwater from wastewater?
Is it true that Southern Water has an average pipe replacement of 0.03% pa? This will take 100s of years to complete a replacement? [23 sec]
In August the press reported that many of the monitors were not working 90% of the time and that a quarter of discharges were not monitored.
Groundwater has had limited availability – we have had a drought and hosepipe ban, and you are still putting overflow in the sea. Analysis on your annual discharges demonstrates a repeatable pattern around school holidays – do you have enough staff and supporting systems to actually fulfil the task we are paying you to do?
How will your groundwater catchment methods work on the Manhood peninsula? [1 min 9 sec]
Let’s talk about Bexhill and East Sussex – why was the plant not maintained correctly? [1 min 10 sec]
I know challenges can’t be fixed overnight, but it would be helpful to have more detail on the investment projects that SW are undertaking per site to resolve issues – the ‘detailed map view’ on the SW website is, at best, at constituencies level for the investment between 2020-2025, not really very details. Is there another view that can be shared with the public?
Why does Southern Water, when responding to planning applications, state their system capacity as ‘dry water capacity,’ rather than the reality of wet water capacity?
Surfers Against Sewage get near real-time notifications of untreated sewage discharges. I head up a Freshwater Watch Group, monitoring the River Rother – an Earthwatch project. Would it be possible for our group to also be provided with similar near real-time notifications for our inland area?
There is a lot of data being reported on spills and frequency. Very little is being reported about what is being spilt. What is the ecotoxicology status of this material? What is being done to intervene and learn from more water-soluble pollutants and their fate in the marine environment?
Which of the 5 Chichester harbour WwTW have UV treatment and how effective is it? Does the efficacy of UV disinfection remain constant, or does it decline over time? On a very local level, the
River Lavant downstream from the Ford Water Road Sewage work is covered in sludge where upriver it is a chalk stream. This is the residue of release over the winter, and it is an exemplar of the damage done by release. What can be done about this?
I have been told that it is cheaper for Southern Water t take a fine of many millions of pounds rather than rectify and replace the sewerage system?
Can you reassure us that you only ever make sewage discharges as a last resort and not just to save money?
Retrofitting of SuDS schemes could play a big part in reducing surface water run off and hence reducing discharges of untreated wastes during storm events. To what extend can SW, and other water companies, put pressure on Central Government to mandate this? Or on Las and other authorities to effect planning decisions going forward?
When Southern Water was privatised in 1989, was not a monitoring system put in place? I have asked for data on the river lavant sewage works and was given 5 years’ worth of data. I was told that it wasn’t comparable before this date – where’s the baseline?
Southern Water received £1bn of new capital from Macquarie in 2021. There is very little evidence that was used to support any infrastructure investment. When will Ofwat directly regulate the sector, regarding specific infrastructure spend and investment before dividends can be paid to shareholders or management ‘performance’ renumeration?
What stops Southern Water building more capacity at their treatment works?
Do you know how much more tank capacity/tanks would deal with the biggest storm overflow events and what’s the cost and land requirements? Would that solve it?
On average, how many chemicals flow through a WWTW? I have read it could be many thousands.
How is Southern Water preparing for additional sewerage needs as more and more houses are built across Sussex?
On the Manhood Peninsula, a lot of tankers are being used by SW to take away excess sewage from pumping stations. This clearly demonstrated that the whole system is in urgent need of upgrading. What is SW’s plan to do this?
Inland counties can’t discharge into estuaries or seas. How do they manage after heavy rainfall? Why can’t coastal counties do what they do?
If Southern Water are wanting to be increasingly transparent, why have they changed their app to not flag every outfall release so that red flags appear less often? What percentage of outflows do not show on the app? [2min 46 sec]
Nature based solutions take decades to get established and function effectively – that is if the water quality is sufficiently good enough to support nature-based solutions in the first place. What evidence has Southern Water got to demonstrate nature-based solutions will work and that they will work in any given timescale? Not good enough if in decades time that the nature-based solution gets poisoned or otherwise ineffective.
Ofwat
Given the scale of nationwide investment needed to address the CSO issue, as well as securing future public water supplied ivo climate change and population increase, how is the required funding to be secured and still keep the water industry financially viable (given Nationalisation would be a step back to the chronic under-investment experienced before privatisation)?
EA
- What enforcement is the government putting in place now to force the water companies to improve infrastructure rather than paying share holders or paying large bonuses?
- Our enforcement action meant water companies were handed record fines last year, making clear that polluters will be made to pay for damage to the environment, with a record fine of £90 million for Southern Water. But we think prosecutions need to go further and agree with Ofwat that water company chief executives should have their pay linked to the levels of pollution their companies cause.
- We expect water companies to deliver on the promised £4.6bn investment (2020-2025) to protect and enhance rivers and beaches, redouble their efforts to reduce pollution, protect more properties from sewer flooding and increase resilience to drought.
- The water industry regulator, OFWAT, drives investment. We have been working with Defra and Ofwat on the Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP). This sets out the environmental improvements that water companies must make, maximising the benefits of innovative solutions such integrated constructed wetlands.
- Midhurst Town Council has a concern about pollution of River Rother and the sewage discharges from Harting Works amounting to 172 days in 2020. When will this be addressed?
- The 2021 data which we published recently on gov.uk, including discharges to the River Rother, is currently being reviewed on a national basis. We receive aggregated event and duration monitoring (EDM) summary data from SW on an annual basis, on just under 1,500 monitored discharge points. We use this data to monitor environmental permit compliance and to assess the requirements for investment under the next cycle of the WINEP.
- Water companies need to act now to reduce their overflows to the minimum possible as stated by us on 31 March 2022. A further national review will identify locations to focus on for future investment and/or compliance as appropriate.
- What are the proposals to cope with additional sewerage disposal requirements which will be required for new housing? If the current infrastructure cannot cope with current demand, would it not be prudent to suspend granting planning approval for large housing developments?
- Planning and housing allocations are a matter for the Local Planning Authority. The Environment Agency and Southern Water can advise the planning authorities regarding Local Plans and strategic developments.
- Microplastics also get discharged into waterways during these untreated discharge incidents. Are there any systems in place for subsequently clearing this plastic out of the river system? Pretty sure that is a “no,” so what research towards that end is being undertaken?
- You’re correct that new threats are seeping into England’s waters - including microplastics and so-called forever chemicals - and climate change is putting more pressure on water and the plants and animals that depend on it.
- Individual actions count. Small steps such as not pouring fats and oils down the sink or flushing wet wipes and other plastic products down the loo can help to protect water quality.
- Reducing the impact of microplastics is part of the Government’s 25 year plan.
- Will environment agency standards change to reflect the change in storm intensity and frequency that climate change will bring?
- The draft River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) set out what is required to protect and improve the quality of the water environment.
- Tackling climate change is essential to achieving all environmental objectives. The draft plans aim to reflect and account for this.
- RBMPs are a positive contribution to help respond to the climate emergency, because waters that are in or close to a natural state are better equipped to respond and adapt to climate change. They are more resilient; they can provide a range of different habitats for wildlife to thrive and can respond better and faster to shocks.
- Many of the solutions to mitigating climate change also benefit the water environment. Peat, saltmarsh, and woodland can all have a significant benefit for water in the right place.
- RBMPs set out how groups and organisations can work together to minimise the impact of climate change on water and ensure catchment resilience, through adopting seven principles: take a catchment-based approach, build the evidence base, deliver more nature-based solutions, plan for 2 and 4 °C warming scenarios, aim for net zero, restore habitats, put in place measures to help natural assets to adapt.
- Nature based solutions to enhance waters can also help with climate change adaptation, for example wetland creation, natural flood management, river restoration and so on.
- Is there a minimum length of and outfall pipe from the beach? The app doesn’t register outfall over 1.5 miles out to sea however, we have shorter pipes than that, don’t we?
- There is no minimum length of a waste-water treatment works outfall.
- Operator self-monitoring is clearly not working, or we would not be having this meeting. What changes can be made so external monitoring and enforcement has a positive effect?
- Foremost, it is the responsibility of water and sewerage companies to notify the Environment Agency if they believe they are in breach of their permit conditions.
- The use of operator self-monitoring brings water and sewerage companies in line with other industries we regulate which have been monitored in this way for many years. Practically only the water companies can do this level of monitoring and under the polluter pays principle they should pay for this.
- It is the EA’s role to provide the scrutiny on the information provided to ensure the water companies are being held to account.
- Professor Hammonds research has highlighted some 150 potentially illegal discharges locally between 2017-21. Is the EA investigating this hard evidence?
- The EA has requested detailed data from over 2200 wastewater treatment works as part of the biggest investigation we have ever undertaken into potential permit breaches.
- In separate work, it has also requested detailed data from over 1300 frequently spilling storm overflows, which it is analysing to determine whether there have been unauthorised discharges. This follows its initial analysis of data from Event Duration Monitors on more than 12,000 storm overflows, which were installed due to new requirements on water companies by the EA.
- We have significantly driven up monitoring and transparency from water companies in recent years by increasing the number of overflows monitored across the network, with all 15,000 overflows set to be monitored by 2023. In 2020, we worked as part of the Storm Overflows Taskforce to increase transparency around storm overflow usage and we are continuing our major investigations into potential widespread non-compliance by sewage companies.
- Could Michael (EA) comment on the suggestion that Bexhill is about to lose its “one star” sufficient grading and is about to become a RED FLAG beach directly relating to consistent low water quality measurements – directly caused by Southern Water?
- The Environment Agency cannot comment on potential future grading of bathing waters. This is because the Secretary of State (Defra) is responsible for designating and de-designating bathing waters, providing guidance on how to implement the Regulations, preparing reports on bathing water seasons, and acting as an enforcer when local authorities fail to meet their duties.
- Local Authorities are responsible for signage at bathing waters and the health of those who bathe there. They are also responsible for passing on information about pollution incidents at bathing waters to the public and to prevent people’s exposure to them.
- Why are the EA allowing additional homes to be built when the WWTPs are incapable of dealing with additional sewage from the new homes as they have reached capacity? It does not provide a great deal of confidence in the system. I’m thinking of the plant at Thornham specifically.
- Planning and housing allocations are a matter for the Local Planning Authority. The Environment Agency and Southern Water can advise the planning authorities regarding Local Plans and strategic developments.
- Is the EA sufficiently resourced?
- Please see the Environment Agency’s Chief Executive’s recent blog.
Natural England
With the huge amount of house building along the South coast in our area, what studies are being carried out to monitor the additional sewage discharge as a result of house building?
How will deregulation of the Habitats Directives via the ‘retained EU law bill’ impact action in Chichester district? Given that most of the positive action in recent months has been driven by nutrient neutrality and protections around Chichester Harbour?
Can you please advise when you are due to undertake a review of Langstone Hbr?
I would like to ask a question about Habitats Regulations that form the basis of our nitrate neutrality rules that determine planning requirements for house building in Chichester District and all along the Solent. How sure can we be that the new government, under Liz Truss, who are not showing a great respect for ecological policies will not try and erode our Habitat Regulations that protect our harbour wildlife? Indeed, the recent consultation on the Habitat Regulations could have the potential to remove the requirements for nutrient neutrality although this will, I hope, be subject to significant scrutiny. What are your Panel’s views on this?
The NE recommendation is to REDUCE nitrogen inputs from the point sources (WWTWS). How will this be actioned?
When is the next Natural England assessment for Chichester Harbour?
Natural England needs to get involved with new large planning applications, why aren’t they?
Chichester Harbour Conservancy
Reports of discoloured water with visible foams and slicks are frequently reported across local Harbours, particularly in sunny conditions. The Environment Agency have advised for many years that these are the results of decaying phytoplankton blooms. Due to public concern one was sampled by the EA in January 2022 and confirmed as, ‘ natural – just oils from algal breakdown and silt/sediment.’
The results of comprehensive water quality testing within Chichester Harbour are available on the Conservancy’s website:
https://www.conservancy.co.uk/page/water-quality-information
Reports and photos of foam slicks have not been noted to coincided with poor water quality results or known storm discharges.
2. Can the Harbour Conservancy please tell us more about the real-time results from the floating buoy Litmus? Technology (as described in detail in the article in the Chichester Society’s Newsletter)?
“The Litmus buoy launched at the beginning of the year was to enable a proof of concept to determine if real time water quality monitoring within a marine environment was possible and to build early data sets for modelling with an Artificial Intelligence engine. Simple sensor configurations were used to analyse basic water health with tidal flows and rain fall variations and proved successful. As such, a second Buoy will be launched early next year which can produce the capability of providing real time e.coli monitoring. Litmus will shortly engage with the Conservancy for support on placement. “
Southern Water are also trialling similar buoys to give real time information.
3. How are we joining together to solve this upstream for the health of our environment long term?
In Chichester Harbour the principal vehicle is the Chichester Harbour Protection and Recovery of Nature (CHaPRoN) partnership, which draws all the relevant organisations together to work on a collaborative and much more ambitious scale. Partners include Chichester Harbour Conservancy, Environment Agency, Natural England, RSPB, Southern Water and Coastal Partners. CHaPRoN has 8 main areas of focus and each of these draw in other partners, in terms of water quality these also include local Universities, Arun and Rother Rivers Trust, and the Clean Harbours Partnership. The CHaPRoN website goes live at the end of November: www.chapron.org.uk
Southern Water lead the wider 3 Harbours initiative that includes Pagham and Langstone Harbours and the wider catchment looking at nature based solutions to improve the Harbour habitats and water quality.
4. The water testing in Chi harbour does not seem to take into account of the sewage being washed back up to the top of the harbour on the incoming tide. Why can’t the testing also happen at the top of the harbour where people are frequently swimming, paddling or taking part in water sports?
Chichester Harbour Conservancy water quality testing regime includes locations closest to the waste water treatment works outlets, sources of known pollution, where we are likely to get the worst results. This includes the top of the Fishbourne Channel. Given the size and tidal regime in the Harbour we try to strike a balanced and sustainable programme.
