A WATER regulation authority has backed proposals allowing Southern Water to escalate work towards reducing storm overflows which are causing sewage to spew into rivers.

Ofwat announced the plans on Tuesday, April 4, which following a short consultation, would enable Southern Water to invest up to £50m more by spring 2025 into a two-year programme to expand its nature based and engineering solutions.

The water company is proposing projects to stop and slow surface and groundwater reaching sewer systems across three areas including the harbours and South Downs areas of Hampshire and West Sussex. 

Southern Water has agreed with its customers stating its current management is “not acceptable”, with storm overflows releasing sewage into the environment so homes and communities are not flooded when pressure on the network builds.

READ MORE: Extinction Rebellion places pollution warning signs around Winchester

Storm overflows occur when normal sewer levels rise due to surface and groundwater pouring in, usually because of heavy rainfall.

CEO Lawrence Gosden said: “Reducing the use of storm overflows and their impact on water quality is a priority for me. To do this we have to get to the root of the problem and reduce the amount of surface water entering the sewerage system.    

“The opportunity to accelerate our rollout of the innovative and sustainable drainage solutions we have already piloted, on a much larger scale in three specific areas, is a positive opportunity. These tactics have proven to help reduce volumes of surface water, stop sewage spills, and bring nature back to communities.  

SEE ALSO: Southern Water applies for 8.1km pipe to help during droughts​ 

“This comes ahead of a much wider investment of billions of pounds over the coming decades, marking the beginning of the end for storm overflows.”  

In the harbours and South Downs region the focus will be tackling storm overflows triggered by excessive groundwater flowing into private and public sewers.

The programme will involve sealing off sewers, including private stretches, and the rollout of wetlands in at least four sites by 2025. The utility company hopes it will achieve biodiversity net gain and carbon reduction.  

For more information go to southernwater.co.uk/our-performance/storm-overflows.