Latest news with #SouthernWater
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
No fines for breaking hosepipe ban in last five years, Southern Water says
Southern Water has not handed out any fines for breaching the restrictions of hosepipe bans in the last five years. Following the driest spring in over 100 years and hottest June on record, a temporary use ban was put in place on Monday, July 21, with the public being told to refrain from using hosepipes for tasks such as watering gardens, filling paddling pools, or washing cars. Those who break these rules can be fined up to £1,000 by Southern Water under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010. But a spokesperson for the utility company said "formal enforcement has not been required" so far, during the current ban and the previous in 2022. READ MORE: 6 rules you need to follow during Hampshire hosepipe ban to avoid £1,000 fine They said: "This year's hosepipe ban is the first since 2022, which in turn was the first in 10 years. Formal enforcement has not been required as yet. "Our priority has been on working together with our community to bring down water use, and we would like to thank our customers for their support. "We are confident this support will continue, to keep taps flowing and to protect our environment."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Sewage leak sees area fenced off and tanker drafted in
Sewage leaking from a main pipe has led to an area of Appley on the Isle of Wight being fenced off and a tanker drafted in. The burst is believed to have occurred on the wastewater rising mains pipe, which runs from Appley Pumping Station to the Sewage Treatment Plant in Sandown. The pressurised pipeline carries sewage uphill from a lower elevation to a higher elevation. Southern Water said the leak was identified on Thursday (July 24) at the car park in Appley. Cllr Michael Lilley, who represents the Appley and Elmfield ward, said it has occurred in the area known as Little Appley. Read more: Princess Anne watches Fastnet Race and Red Arrows in Cowes PHOTOS Island teen living 'childhood dream' as new star of Jay Miller's Circus Southern Water described it as a 'small' leak but has cordoned off the area and is using a tanker 'to manage wastewater flows and prevent environmental impact'. Sewage leak in Appley (Image: Cllr Michael Lilley) A specialist team is expected to attend the site on Monday (July 28) to assess the leak and plan the repair. A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "We're sorry for any inconvenience to locals and businesses in the area.' Cllr Lilley said the pipe runs under Appley Park, up to Little Appley and under Appley Road and across Westridge Farm land towards Brading. He said there was a leak on the same pipe in Brading not long ago and another in January, near Appley Manor Hotel. "I will be holding Southern Water to account and in the meantime take care if walking through Little Appley", he said.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Major concerns over Southern Water 'drought' plan which could close businesses
Major concerns have been raised over Southern Water's drought plans which could see water continue to be taken from the River Test as water levels fall, the Echo can reveal. Businesses could see sweeping restrictions, including the forced closure of certain swimming pools and car washes 'if necessary'. Major concerns have been raised on the effects the plan could have on the Test and Itchen's wildlife, with one Itchen river activist branding the move a "lethal cocktail" for wildlife. Southern Water itself was unable to rule out an 'adverse effect' on endangered salmon living in the area. Changes to Southern Water's current rules Currently, the utility company can take the equivalent of 80 million litres of water per day from the River Test, provided the overall flow of the river remains above 355 million litres per day. But the company now wants to lower this licensed limit, meaning it would be allowed to continue taking water until the flow drops to 265 million litres per day. READ MORE: 6 rules you need to follow during Hampshire hosepipe ban to avoid £1,000 fine Southern Water said they cannot simply stop taking water from the Test as it was "necessary" to ensure taps remain running, confirming to the Echo that the region is now "in drought". 'We follow a strict legal process, set by the government and regulators, to ensure we are taking the correct steps to both keep supplying water to our customers and to mitigate any negative environmental impact at the same time," a spokesperson told the Echo. Further restrictions would only be brought in if "absolutely necessary", Southern Water said, and would only be needed "if river flows fall below 355 million litres per day". Businesses could be restricted in upgraded hosepipe ban The change is part of the utility company's Drought Order, which has been submitted to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) due to a 'threat of a serious deficiency in supplies of water'. While a hosepipe ban came into effect on Monday, it does not currently impact businesses. But part of the Drought Order means that a Non-Essential Use Ban (NEUB) could potentially be issued, which would see businesses forced to comply with 10 hosepipe restrictions. READ MORE: No discount for hosepipe ban, Southern Water confirms Southern Water said this will only be implemented 'if necessary', but its enforcement would see car wash businesses banned from using hosepipes to clean vehicles. Mechanic vehicle washers would also not be allowed under the Drought Direction 2011, and swimming pools that are only open to paying members may have to close. 'If river levels continue to drop and a NEUB is required, further information will be provided,' a spokesperson for Southern Water said. Potential "adverse effect" on protected River Itchen Gavin Millar from Friends of the Itchen Estuary, who branded potential plans a lethal cocktail. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) An environmental report conducted by the company concluded that an adverse effect on the River Itchen's Special Area of Conservation 'cannot be discounted'. Reduced flows in the Test could impact the Itchen's salmon population, the company said. Gavin Millar sampling river water. (Image: Friends of the Itchen Estuary) Speaking on behalf of the Friends of the Itchen Estuary, Gavin Millar said the impact of Southern Water's 'excessive water extraction' are evident in low levels, elevated water temperatures and long-term declining ecology. He branded this a 'lethal cocktail' for 'critically endangered chalk stream salmon'. This very rare sub-species of Atlantic salmon is only found in six habitats, two of which are the Rivers Test and Itchen. READ MORE: Work begins on £100m pipeline to boost Southampton's water supply 'Salmon have been swimming in the waters of the Test and Itchen for hundreds of thousands of years but are now at risk of being wiped out for good,' the Test and Itchen Association's director Paul Vignaux explained. He argued Hampshire 'urgently' needs new sources of water, like the Havant Thicket reservoir which is not expected to be operational until at least 2031. 'Until then we will have a shortfall of water in the county and it's our rivers that will be picking up the slack,' Paul said. Hampshire "urgently" needs "sustainable solutions", rivers trust argues Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust. (Image: Wessex River Trust) Dave Rumble, chief executive of Wessex Rivers Trust, agreed that the county 'urgently' needs 'sustainable solutions' to reduce reliance on taking water from rivers. 'This Drought Order highlights just how close to the edge our freshwater environment already is,' he told the Echo. A spokesperson for Southern Water said it has proposed several monitoring, mitigation, and compensation measures to offset the potential effects of the Drought Order. 'These measures are a mixture of actions that are already in place and more that will be implemented over the next year,' the spokesperson continued. 'If we need to implement a Drought Order, we would monitor and react to environmental conditions as required.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
'Fly contamination' concerns over housing plans in Uckfield
Councillors have supported the next stage of a major housing development in East Sussex, despite concerns of "fly contamination".On Thursday, Wealden District Council's planning committee agreed on the next steps for the Ridgewood Farm project, which is a major mixed-used development on the west edge of two applications had sought planning permission to build both 750 new homes and an industrial unit providing 1,884 sqm of floor space, as reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).Southern Water told the BBC it was investigating into reports of fly contamination, which has been linked to a treatment work near the development. The proposals followed on from an outline scheme approved in 2016, which secured planning permission to build up to 1,000 new homes on the overall site, and a new primary school and retail, community and leisure both applications were eventually approved by the committee, Uckfield ward councillors Donna French and Ben Reed said there were some "unresolved issues"."Uckfield Town Council and myself are not trying to stop this application, we are just seeking to help deliver the best possible development for this site," Ms French LDRS reported her concerns included the potential impact on an area of ancient woodland and a protected oak tree, parking and existing issues of swarming flies linked to Southern Water treatment works on the northern edge of the French concluded by calling the committee to defer the application. 'Swarming with flies' Conservative councillor Neil Cleaver said: "We have a fly population in Uckfield which is swarming. "People are going to buy these houses. They are going to be sitting in their gardens or sitting in their houses with their windows shut, because they can't open them swarming with added he "could not support" the application and the council should take steps to address the "unresolved issues" raised by ward councillors. He said the council's deputy leader, Rachel Millward, should meet Southern Water to discuss ways of mitigating the "fly contamination". Proposing approval for the housing application, Labour councillor Daniel Manvell said: "There are numerous things in [the outline permission] I wouldn't be happy with."Only 15% affordable housing is atrocious, given we deliver 35% on most sites these days - and all of that really speaks to previous iterations of this council not getting a local plan sorted."Residents have been waiting for homes on these sites for years and I don't think it would be responsible to defer this yet again."The housing element of the proposal is expected to comprise 50 one-bed, 136 two-bed, 321 three-bed, 211 four-bed and 32 five-bed units. Of these, 15% would be allocated to affordable is set to be delivered by the developers Redrow Homes and Places for People.
eNCA
5 days ago
- Politics
- eNCA
UK water pollution alarms summer bathers
AFP | Ben STANSALL Pensioner Chris Stanley became so incensed by water companies dumping wastewater into the sea near his home that four years ago he stopped paying his bills. To his dismay things have not improved. "They released sewage water last week on Friday, (and) Sunday night, and on Monday the beach was declared not safe for swimming," said Stanley, 82, a regular swimmer, whose home overlooks the sea from the southeastern town of Whitstable. The Southern Water company, which supplies water to 2.6 million people, is allowed to release excess wastewater into the sea when the network is saturated such as during heavy rains. But the situation has become so exasperating that in 2021 Stanley refused to pay part of his water bill relating to sewage treatment. Last month a court ordered that Stanley must pay what he owes. AFP | Ben STANSALL "The judge ruled that water companies have the right to claim the money even if they don't do it properly," he said wryly. Many Britons have been increasingly alarmed by the water companies' failures and their lack of investment, with some customers launching a national campaign named "Boycott Water Bills". Last year, a record 3.6 million hours of sewage discharges were registered in England, according to the government's Environment Agency. Serious pollution contamination incidents also rose by 60 percent in a year, the agency said. According to an investigation by environmental watchdogs Unearthed and DeSmog, 10,000 water quality tests had to be abandoned between May and July due to a lack of staff at the Environment Agency. - System overhaul - Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer's centre-left government on Monday announced plans to overhaul the water regulation system after a scathing report by the Independent Water Commission. It slammed private companies and authorities in England and Wales for failing to regulate the water sector. AFP | Ben STANSALL "Our water industry is broken," Environment Secretary Steve Reed said. The government will now abolish the much-maligned regulator Ofwat after the commission report, dubbed the most comprehensive review of the sector since its privatisation in the late 1980s. On Wednesday, the first day of the school holidays, a few families were playing in the sunshine enjoying Tankerton's pebble beach on the Kent coast, lined with colourful beach huts. Near a Southern Water treatment station, where a long pipe travels under the beach into the sea to release wastewater, some holidaymakers were even bathing. The water company had dumped polluted water into the sea for six hours the day before, but swimming was still permitted. AFP | Ben STANSALL Yoga instructor Lisa Lawton from London was enjoying a week's holiday in Whitstable with her two daughters. "They were released last night? I was not aware. I just wanted to go for a swim," Lawton, 41, told AFP, referring to the discharges. Another mum, Emily Winstone, 42, said: "When we used to come here as children, you didn't ever think about it." "But now it's every time you come to the beach, it's the first thing you think of. Can we go in the water?" she said. - Renationalisation - The charity Surfers Against Sewage has created a phone app that indicates the water quality on UK beaches. Last year, they received 1,850 reports of people falling ill after swimming in the sea. Elane Heffernan, who volunteers with the campaigning group SOS Whitstable, became sick after bathing close to sewage spillages in 2021. That year, the town's oyster farm shut down and Southern Water was fined 90 million pounds ($121 million) for admitting to 7,000 illegal discharges between 2010 and 2015. AFP | Ben STANSALL Since then, Heffernan has advocated for the renationalisation of the water industry, and a petition launched by SOS Whitstable was signed by more than 280,000 people. "We have now had more than enough evidence over 30 years to know it (privatisation) doesn't work. It can't work. It's never going to work," said Heffernan, adding private companies prioritised profit over long-term investments. A spokesperson for Southern Water told AFP the discharges "are not acceptable and we have a £1.5 billion plan (by 2035) to drastically cut their use by using innovative nature-based and engineering solutions which keep rainwater out of our sewers". They added that the company had also invested 965 million pounds last year. But according to the National Audit Office, the entire water sector needs some £290 billion in investment over the next 25 years. By Marie Heuclin
