
Sewer sealing drives storm overflow reduction work in East Sussex village
Efforts to cut storm overflows in an East Sussex village have been boosted by the sealing of 2km of sewers
Reducing storm overflows in Fairlight
Our Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force has made Fairlight one its priority projects, in rolling out various engineering and green solutions to help slow down and reduce the amount of ground and surface water entering and overloading our sewers and sites during and after intense rainfall events.
It is these sudden increases in flow which can then trigger storm overflows into the environment to prevent homes and communities from flooding.
Sewer sealing, in which innovative technology is utilised to line the inside of pipes so groundwater cannot force its way in, is one of the many tactics being utilised across our region as part of our £1.5bn Clean Rivers and Seas Plan.

What we have done so far in Fairlight and sharing our progress
Since the project began in July 2023 in our teams have:
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Sealed 2km of sewers, including at Lower Waites Lane, Chanel Way, Rockmead Road, Bramble Way and Shepherds Way
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Installed 341 water butts at homes and businesses covering an area of 6 hectares, allowing for rainwater to drain into the ground slowly
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Carried out detailed surveys across a further 5km of sewer spines in and around the village. This is in preparation for further sewer sealing work where a further 2km could be sealed in coming months.
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Tackled eight private surface water pipes in the Knowle Road area.
We will be sharing our progress with customers and local stakeholders on Thursday 6 February 2025 at a drop-in event at Fairlight Village Hall from 3pm to 7pm.
Task Force project manager for Fairlight, James Latter, said:
“Our work in Fairlight is really starting to make a difference and we’re seeing less surface and groundwater able to work into way into our sewers, following our sealing works and installation of hundreds of water butts.
“We still have lots more to do, and we’re looking forward to sharing our progress at our drop-in event in the village.”
To find out more about our work in Fairlight visit Pathfinder: Fairlight, East Sussex - Southern Water