Pond partnership to boost Bexhill bathing water quality
We are working with Rother District Council to improve and protect Bexhill’s bathing water quality – with a particular focus on a popular pond.
Investigations identified the pond in Egerton Park Lake as a potential source of contamination to the neighbouring beach.
Rob Butson, Bathing Water Manager at Southern Water, explained:
“Our illegal misconnections team lifted a surface water drain manhole and found clear evidence that something was not right in the area of the pond.
“Tests we conducted on pond sediment showed very high levels of e.coli, and we also uncovered damage to the pond’s sluice gate and the sewer chamber next to it – all of which we suspected was leading to contaminated run off onto the beach and into the sea.”“We don’t think the lake is the whole story but tests showed very high levels of e coli and there’s damage to the sluice gate and the sewer chamber next to it.”
Southern Water then joined forces with Rother District Council to investigate further and find the right solutions, with the backing of local MP Kieran Mullan – showcasing the importance of partnership working when it comes to tackling the many factors which can impact water quality concerns.
Rob added: “It’s brilliant working with Rother District Council – everyone from MPs and council leader to officers understands that all sorts of things affect bathing water and only by working together can we get the change we want.
While the Council fixed the sluice gate and the sewer chamber, we continued to investigate other potential sources.
The illegal misconnections team, which has recently been doubled in size by Southern Water, tracks down instances where private wastewater pipes have been incorrectly plumbed into surface water drains.
Surveying our own sewers to make sure they aren’t leaking into ground water is also key. Where defects are found a polymer lining seals them up – at a tenth of the price of digging up the road and relaying the pipe.
However, storm overflows have been ruled out as a contributing factor to local bathing water quality by the Environment Agency, as the outfall is located far out to sea.