Sewer overflow released into Bexhill and St Leonards bathing water after storm

St Leonards and Bexhill are both frequently used as outfalls for sewage to stop overflow after heavy rainfall.

Southern Water, which announced a £138.8m profit last year, says outfalls are part of the design of the sewers and are regulated by the Environment Agency, and are used in areas where the sewers were built to carry both wastewater and rainwater away from communities.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: "“Rain can overwhelm the combined sewer and drainage system which exists in many parts of our region.

"To protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding, storm overflows act as a release value and release excess water into the sea.

"These discharges are heavily diluted, typically being 95 per cent rainwater. There are around 15,000 storm overflows in England and approximately 1,000 in our region.”

“Cutting the number is our next big challenge. Our five pathfinder projects aim to show we can cut such releases by 80 per cent by 2030. The government is proposing this level of cut by 2050 but we know our customers want us to go further and faster.

“Across the UK water companies are investing £7.1 billion between 2020 and 2025 to improve customer service and protect the environment and Southern Water is responsible for £2 billion of that.”

Becca Horn, member of Clean Water Action, said after a similar release earlier this year: “After decades of underfunding - with profits maintaining shareholders’ purses instead of our pipes - our sewage systems are in crisis. Eighty per cent by 2030 is neither good enough nor fast enough.

“They have promised to invest £2bn by 2025, but we have yet to hear their spending plan other than the £12.8m they announced they plan to spend on advertising to educate the public on saving water

“Southern Water must be held accountable for their continued pollution of our precious waterways.”

Campaigners staged a demonstration on a Hastings beach on August 26 in protest over sewage being discharged into the sea.

It came after a series of sewage discharges in the sea at Bexhill and across the south east.