Southern Water is investigating the release of untreated wastewater into the sea at Bexhill on the evening of 17th August 2022, leading to a spill that has impacted bathing water quality.
outhern Water have advised that the pumping station located at Galley Hill suffered power failures on the evening of 17th August 2022, leading to a spill that has impacted bathing water quality.
The water company said that a significant issue with electrical power at one of its wastewater pumping stations had caused the release when both the primary power and back-up system failed.
Southern Water has restored power and has crews on site to manage the situation with emergency generators to ensure resilience. The utility is continuing to carry out complex repairs – the generators are on standby to prevent this happening again. Southern Water said it is staffing the site and closely monitoring it 24 hours a day.
The water company also has teams at the nearby Bexhill and Normans Bay beaches searching for any evidence.
Rother District Council has advised the closure of Bexhill and Normans Bay beaches following the release and is advising people not to enter the water between Galley Hill and Normans Bay at present.
Southern Water said it is working closely with Rother District Council and the Environment Agency and continuing to investigate any potential impact on bathing water quality.
The water company said in a statement:
“ We are deeply sorry for this incident and we understand the seriousness and the distress this causes.
“We continue to investigate the root cause and will share this with stakeholders and customers when we can.”
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