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Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force

Our Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force is working with local authorities and community partners to reduce the amount of water entering our sewers and limit the use of storm overflows. With projects under way across the region, we’re already reducing releases in some areas by as much as 70%.

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How the task force is reducing the use of storm overflows

The Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force use nature-based solutions, infrastructure improvements and storm water treatment to deliver several Pathfinder projects to reduce storm overflow releases. 

Our regional Clean Rivers and Seas Plan goes further, using learning from these projects to develop more sustainable drainage schemes, such as raingardens and wetlands, while also increasing capacity at our own treatment sites, tackling illegal sewer connections and relining sewers. We’re focused on helping customers to “slow the flow” of water entering the system, installing water butts, soakaways and permeable driveways.

Lavant Wetland part of the Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force Pathfinder Project

Most recent highlights

We've saved or treated over 400 storm overflow releases so far this year. This number will keep climbing as we continue our mass roll out of improvements. Here are some of the projects our team have been working on to reduce storm overflows across the south.

Tackling overflows near Appley

We've prevented 87 storm overflow releases this year by upgrading our Appley Wastewater Pumping Station, quadrupling the available storage and doubling the flow rate. 

Our Appley site was struggling to cope with increasing rainfall, resulting in regular storm overflows. Environment Agency permits set the rules for how our sites work, and when we investigated, we discovered that by challenging the permit we could significantly increase the capacity of the site, allowing it to work much more effectively and tackling the problem of increased rainfall. 

Appley Isle Of Wight Storm Overflow Reduction

New wetland in Lavant

Our new wetland at Lavant Wastewater Treatment Works has naturally and sustainably held and treated over 134 storm overflow releases that would have previously gone out into River Lavant. 

This area of East Sussex suffers from high levels of groundwater which can overwhelm our system and tankering is often required to move this water elsewhere. As well as reducing the need for tankers by holding water, wetlands clean and purify water without any polluting by-product and they improve the biodiversity of the area. 

Sustainable drainage in schools

We’ve installed sustainable drainage systems in nearly 100 schools across the south in partnership with the DfE, preventing over 117 million litres of rainwater from contributing to flooding and storm overflows.

Sustainable drainage systems such as raingardens, swales, tree pits and water butts can make a huge difference. In under two years, the sustainable drainage installed has slowed enough water to fill 46 Olympic-sized swimming pools. This water has been put to good use feeding plants and creating interactive areas for learning and play. 

Sustainable drainage systems in schools

Pan Parishes sewer sealing

In the Pan Parishes, we found that private pipework in poor condition was increasing groundwater infiltration resulting in over pumping, storm overflows and up to 30 tankers a day. 

After seeking permission from the owner, we investigated further and sealed over 2.5km of private pipework at no cost to the customer, as well as 2km of our network, and 68 manholes. This work will help prevent groundwater from getting in and future-proof our sewer system. Since completion, tankers are no longer needed in this area despite record groundwater levels. 

A worker at Pan Parishes holding and examining a pipe