Southern Water unveils £42m sewage plan

Southern Water (SW) has announced a £42m programme of works to tackle sewage spills, storm overflows and pollution incidents in Kent.

The water company says the investment will target wastewater treatment works, pumping stations and sewer networks across across Folkestone and Hythe in a bid to improve resilience and reduce environmental harm.

Unveiled during a public event at the Salvation Army Centre in Folkestone on Wednesday, it follows longstanding criticism over SW's green credentials in the area.

"We are stepping up our efforts to deliver the change we all want to see," said Alexis Knight, SW's chief customer officer.

In recent years, there have been repeated sewage discharges into rivers and coastal waters, along with concerns about storm overflows during heavy rain and anger from campaigners over pollution incidents affecting beaches and waterways.

SW was also fined a record £90m in 2021 after admitting thousands of illegal sewage discharges across the South East between 2010 and 2015, branded a "deliberate and serious" breach of environmental law by prosecutors.

And questions have regularly been raised about how the ageing sewer infrastructure in towns and villages fails to cope during periods of heavy rainfall and high groundwater.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the largest single investment in SW's plans will be a £10m upgrade at Dymchurch Wastewater Treatment Works, with a further £8.6m earmarked for Hythe.

In villages like Elham, Lyminge and Peene, the firm aims to spend £7.5m on sealing sewers, while Sellinge Wastewater Treatment Works is set for a £7.6m overhaul.

Similar schemes are also earmarked for Lydd (£3.7m) and Brooklands (£2m), along with improving pump capacity at Range Road, West Hythe and Folkestone Junction wastewater pumping stations.

Knight went on to describe the planned works, which will run until 2030, as "critical".

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