NOTICE OF MOTION

GREEN GROUP  

SOUTHERN WATER INVESTMENT

Council notes the critical health and environmental concerns around the dumping of raw sewage in our rivers and seas by water companies. Despite being fined £90m for illegally discharging sewage into our waters, Southern Water has used the Portobello Storm Outfall near Saltdean to dump raw sewage more than 50 times this year.

 Council notes local residents pay to ensure water is effectively managed and considers Southern Water is not fulfilling its duty to update drainage systems to cope with rainfall occurring more often, due to global warming.

Council therefore requests that the Chief Executive writes to Southern Water

  • asking for clarification on plans to stop sewage overflows by 2030.
  • Inviting their CEO to a meeting of Health Overview Scrutiny Committee to explain recent actions and to discuss workable ways forward to improve water quality.
  • Asking them to engage with local government, the public and community groups to identify investment to improve our city’s drainage and reduce flooding. 

 

The council resolves to ask the Environment, Transport & Sustainability Committee to:

·         Work with Southern Water and partners to design and implement a citywide SuDs[i] strategy to reduce surface water flooding by 2030.

·         Investigate whether funds from Southern Water’s recent fines can be redistributed to pay for works.

Proposed by: Cllr Hills                                             Seconded by: Cllr Lloyd

Supporting information
[1] Sewage dumped in sea at Saltdean Beach in Brighton & Hove | The Argus[2] Southern Water Beachbuoy Stormwater Information

[3] Surfers Against Sewage Safer Seas and River Service app and online map

[4] Surfers Against Sewage responds to Southern Water OFWAT fine • Surfers Against Sewage (sas.org.uk)

[5] Surfers Against Sewage 2021 Water Quality Report

[6] Southern Water response to Surfers Against Sewage 2021 Water Quality Report

[7] Southern Water recently paid Lewes Council to plant trees for this purpose, following calls by council leadership following discharges into the River Ouse. 


[i] Sustainable drainage systems