Bexhill Residents and Southern Water Customers are invited to ‘know your outfall’
Beachgoers and bathers in Bexhill are to benefit from a pilot scheme to label outfalls so they can understand what they do – and what’s coming out.
Southern Water’s Rivers & Seas Watch already provides near real-time information on all 930 of its own storm release outfalls whether into rivers or off our 700 miles of coast.
But there are thousands more surface water outfalls – some belonging to us and some owned by councils or the EA. They don’t carry sewage but definitely influence water quality as anything that goes down drains near beaches comes out from them – litter, dog poo or camper vans emptying portaloos.
Now, four outfalls from Glyne Gap to Beulah Beach in Bexhill will be the start of a pilot to label outfalls. Southern Water is working with Rother District Council rolling out the project.
“Putting good information into the hands of our customers is a key mission for us. And we’ve certainly seen confusion about what surface water outfalls are. One recent documentary featured activists criticising storm overflows while perched on an outfall which has no connection to the sewage network,’ said Bathing Water Lead Rob Butson.
“Awareness of what these surface outfalls are is important as we work with councils around the region on the Environment Agency-developed Yellow Fish campaign where stencils reading ‘only rain down this drain’ warn people not to drop litter or kick dog poo into road gullies. Stuff in the surface water network doesn’t go to Narnia or one of our 367 wastewater treatment works but straight into the nearest body of water – a stream or on to the beach,” he added.
Councillor Hazel Timpe, portfolio holder for neighbourhood services at Rother District Council said: “The council’s coastal team has been working closely with Southern Water on this important pilot scheme in Bexhill to help ensure the success of this project.
“The new signage will help communicate to residents and visitors that only rainwater comes out of the four surface water outfalls along the beach.
“Projects such as this also provide an opportunity to remind people of the importance of not contaminating surface water run-off by dropping litter or anything else into highway drains, as this will directly influence the quality of the seawater in the local area.”