Southern Water reveals ‘unprecedented’ spending on water and waste networks in Sussex since 2020

The company revealed on Friday, March 22, that it has spent £333 million in Sussex in the past four years on major waste and water improvement projects.

Southern Water said this includes £157m on improving wastewater treatment processes to improve the quality of final effluent discharge at 37 sites.

Speaking at Hardham Water Supply Works, head of Wastewater Asset Strategy and Planning Chris Braham said: “We’ve got plans for another £137 million in the coming year.”

The company said this would take overall spend in the county to £470 million in five years. Chris added: “We’re looking to invest up to £1.5 billion (across the region) since 2020 by this time next year.”

Southern Water explained this spending only accounts for planned construction projects relating to its water and wastewater infrastructure. The company said this does not include regular reactive projects and workstreams, the £45million ‘innovative approaches’ of its Clean Rivers and Seas Task Force to cutting storm overflows, or the money it is spending beyond what the company agreed with regulators before 2020 to drive its Turnaround Plan forward (mostly to combat pollution and flooding).

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Southern Water said the 2024/5 financial year marks the ‘final stretch’ for its current five-year spending period and Southern Water’s Turnaround Plan, which delivers ‘fast-tracked’ performance improvements.

John Penicud, director for Wastewater Operations, said: “As we enter an absolutely crucial year for Southern Water and the wider water industry, it is right we are open with our customers about what we are spending on improving our performance and where the money is going. Contrary to some claims aired in the media and among the public, I’d like to reassure you that we are spending our bill payers’ and our shareholders’ money in an ambitious, targeted and evidence-based way to fix the issues we know we face.”

Chris Braham said: “I understand that we’re not currently meeting the expectations that our customers might have of us but that’s exactly why were are investing in our infrastructure. We’re looking to improve the treatment and resilience of our water supply works but also some significant investment in improving our environment through the wastewater treatment and the storm overflows, which is one of our key priorities.”

Chris said many improvements are focused on the environment, including reduction of storm overflows. He added that improving wastewater treatment is about removing the nutrients that go into rivers to improve their ecological status. He said: “It’s removing things like phosphorus and nitrogen from our final effluent. They can be the cause of what’s called eutrophication in rivers and it can cause them to reduce the amount of oxygen for fish and for wildlife.”

Southern Water’s investment in Sussex since 2020 also includes:

£23m to install new sewers and replace ageing infrastructure in Hastings and Brighton.

£32m to build the resilience of its major water supply works and networks, by upgrading treatment processes to ensure water quality and installing back up power generators to reduce the risk of supply interruptions. This aims to ‘future proof’ assets to better withstand extreme weather events.

£9m to improve its process of taking water from the environment.