Brighton and Hove

Southern Water's new plans for a £300 million wastewater treatment and sludge recycling centre at Lower Hoddern Farm, Peacehaven, and associated infrastructure have been submitted to East Sussex County Council.

This follows a public inquiry which was held last year into Southern Water’s largest environmental scheme to deliver improved wastewater treatment to the Brighton, Hove and Peacehaven area, as required by the EU Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive.

Find out more about our wastewater treatment scheme for the Brighton and Hove area.

Brighton and Hove Water Mains Replacement

Southern Water is carrying out a £15.5 million scheme to replace 57 kilometres of Victorian water mains in the Brighton and Hove area.

The aim is to reduce the amount of water lost to leakage, improve the supply network and upgrade the Fire Protection network and minimise future traffic disruptions.

Old metal water pipes which are between 120 and 150 years old are being replaced with stronger plastic ones and new and improved fire hydrants are being installed in conjunction with East Sussex Fire Brigade.

The work started in June 2006 and is due to end by December 2009, but is currently six months ahead of schedule. Traffic is being managed around the works in conjunction with the Highways Department of Brighton and Hove City Council and other utility companies.

Download a brochure about the scheme.

Black Rock Combined Sewer Overflow

A £2.5 million scheme to help prevent flooding in Brighton and Hove has been completed at Black Rock in Brighton.

A Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) has been built to further protect the city’s residents during exceptional storms, when the three-mile stormwater tunnel under the seafront is full.

The CSO allows the stormwater to be released safely out to sea through an 80 metre pipe, instead of backing up the sewer network and flooding homes and gardens.

Protecting Sensitive Waters

Under European legislation, Southern Water is reducing the levels of nitrogen nutrients in treated wastewater before it is recycled into sensitive waters.

The company is carrying out £87 million of environmental improvements at six wastewater treatment works in Hampshire and Sussex to add extra treatment processes.

The Solent and Langstone Harbour, in Hampshire, and Chichester Harbour, in Sussex, have been identified as being at risk of eutrophication where nutrients increase plant growth.

This growth reduces the amount of oxygen in the water, causing other creatures such as fish to die.

Work started in 2005 and is due to finish by Spring 2008.

Download a brochure.

Bewl-Darwell Transfer Scheme

A pipeline to transfer an extra 25 million litres of water a day from Bewl Water reservoir on the Kent/Sussex border to Darwell reservoir in East Sussex has been completed in a £25 million initiative.

More than 2,000 pipes were laid along a 17 kilometre route in the joint scheme with South East Water to safeguard water supplies for people in Hastings and Bexhill.

Southern Water’s works at Brede have also been upgraded in a £4 million refurbishment to treat the increased volumes of water.