Join our free tour

Tours at our sites take place on:

• Thursdays – Peacehaven.
• Wednesdays – Hastings (community adult tours).
• Tuesdays – Budds Farm (opening in 2026).

School tours start at 10am and finish around 1.30pm and community tours run from 2pm to 4pm.

We can only accommodate one class per visit with a class size of approximately 30 pupils. We require a minimum of one adult for every eight pupils at Primary school age, one adult for every ten pupils at Secondary school age and one adult for every 15 college students. 

For safety reasons, the tours are completed in two groups of approximately 15 people and every group must have an allocated member of staff as the group leader and a named first aider.

Our group tours can accommodate up to 10 people who are part of a community group or club. Larger groups will need to be split over two visits. Your group leader is responsible for everyone on the tour and should tell us in advance about any specific needs, like accessibility, so that we can make sure your have a great visit.

You’ll get to see the wastewater cleaning process in action. Wearing safety equipment (PPE) — including gloves, a fluorescent jacket and a helmet — you'll walk around the site with the guide, hearing all about what you’re seeing through a headset in your hard hat.

Our Beyond the Drain tour takes you through the scientific processes used at the treatment site with fun and engaging ways to learn all about the important work that goes on there and how we are part of the water cycle. We'll explain how fat, oil, grease and wet wipe cause blockages in drains and you'll also get a real insight into how storm overflows work. 

The second part of the tour takes place in our education space. Hear about who invented sewers in the first place and what our complex sewer network looks like today. 

Learn more about why storm overflows are used, the work being done to reduce this — as part of our Clean Rivers and Seas plan — and how you can help improve the health of your nearby rivers and seas. There is also an interactive 'slow the flow' workshop to understand how slowing the flow of rainwater into the sewers can significantly reduce the use of storm overflows.

The visit finishes with information about the range of career opportunities available in the water sector with plenty of time for a chat with industry experts.

Where possible, we’ve made adjustments at our sites to make them more accessible including:

• step-free access at key points
• smooth, stable surfaces along adapted sections
• gentle gradients where possible
• clearly marked accessible entry and exit points.

We’re committed to making our experiences welcoming for everyone. If you have specific accessibility needs or would like to discuss the route in more detail, please contact us — we’re happy to help.

We make sure our tours are inclusive and accessible for all, with group and individual needs being discussed with you beforehand.

For example, we can provide a virtual tour in advance with our Wastewater Quest session that takes place at your school. The session helps students understand what they’ll see on the day and show them the safety equipment they’ll need to wear. 

Schools that meet one of the below criteria are eligible to apply for a travel bursary of up to £500:

• State-funded schools with 10% or more pupils eligible for Free School Meals (FSM).
• Schools/Colleges in Special Measures.
• Special Schools or schools with a high proportion of SEND pupils.

Register your interest for a travel bursary by selecting 'yes' on the form.

Before your students visit, why not come along and see for yourself what the tour is like, and discuss any individual needs?

Teacher-only visits can be arranged after school on a regular tour day for each site, or on an agreed date in the school holidays. If you’re interested in coming along to find out more before you book, then get in touch by emailing schooltours@southernwater.co.uk.