Kent and Sussex villages take centre stage in work to reduce flooding

Southern Water is spending £4.4m to bolster its wastewater network in four Kent and Sussex villages in an effort to cut their flood risk.

Hellingly in East Sussex, Shripney and Sayers Common in West Sussex, and Marden in Kent, have all suffered thanks to the wettest 18 months since records began in 1836 - between October 2022 and March 2024.

Tackling flooding is a complex issue that requires partnership working, alongside councils and the Environment Agency, to help reduce flood risk to communities in our region.
   
In Hellingly, Southern Water is spending £1.2 million and working with partners to make the improvements needed. The work includes:  

• Sealing up to 2.5km of our sewer pipes to prevent groundwater from getting in and overloading our network 
• Sealing or re-covering manholes to prevent surface water entering our network
• Investigating the impact of new development on our network to help plan for further improvements.

The Hellingly community were invited to meet with Southern Water teams to find out more at a special drop-in on Tuesday, 9 July, from 5.30pm to 7.30pm at Community Hub, The Drive.  

The same approach is due to be taken in Sayers Common (£1m), Shripney (£1.2m) and Marden (£1m).

Across all four schemes, we will also be carrying out reviews of our infrastructure, including pumping stations and storage tanks, to identify any further upgrades needed. 

Southern Water Project Lead, Joseph Whitehead, said:

“We are working hard to play our part in reducing flooding across our network and we’re focusing our attention on areas that have been particularly badly impacted by flooding, especially from groundwater.

“We’re sorry for any disruption our work in these areas will cause and appreciate the communities' support.  

“Flooding is a complex issue that requires collaboration to tackle effectively. This is why this work is being done through partnerships with councils and the Environment Agency, especially in light of climate change.” 

We work with many different agencies to manage and prevent flooding. Find out who is responsible for what during a flood.