Whitstable (Swalecliffe), Kent

In total we're investing £25 million in our Swalecliffe Wastewater Treatment Works. Working with the Environment Agency, we've been able to increase storm capacity at the site. We're also optimising pumping stations in the catchment, which will help us better manage excess water.

We're working with local residents and community groups to install SuDS that help to slow the flow of surface water into the sewer system. This includes installing water butts in homes in the area, as well as rain gardens and tree pits at Whitstable Library.

Misconnections happen when surface water pipes are connected to the combined sewers which carry foul water. This increases the pressure on the system which can in turn lead to storm overflow releases. Finding and removing misconnections will help ease this pressure.

We’ve also installed additional flow monitoring at key parts of the network. This will help us better understand water flows, alert us to faults, and overcome the challenge of excess water.