Southern Water’s Chief Customer Officer Katy Taylor explained: “We are pleased to be here and talk to customers and stake-holders and talk about the challenges we have had. We want to understand the problems people have had, but also talk about the great work that Southern Water does.
"Southern Water only exists to serve its customers. We want to get better and improve. We recognise that customers in the Hastings area have not had the service from Southern water they should have done.
"We are re-investing and have a a really big sewage lining project going forward, to make sure that we don’t get bursts.
"There is also an exciting project in the Fairlight area looking at water butts and sustainable gardens.”
Among the exhibits on show at the Stade Hall was a working model of a street scene demonstrating how water drainage works. There were also stalls offering information and advice and help with water bills. There was advice on how to convert your water butt into a slow-drain butt.
A member of the Southern Water misconnection team explained the problems created by D.I.Y enthusiasts and inefficient builders. When a home is misconnected, wastewater from the property is directed into the surface water drain where it enters rivers and seas untreated – carrying along toxins from washing powder and household cleaning products.
A Southern Water spokesperson explained: “Perhaps the developer made an error when the property was first built. Maybe an appliance was plumbed incorrectly during a DIY project. Possibly, the necessary checks were skipped when an extension was being made. Whatever the reason, misconnections can be devastating for the health of local watercourses and wildlife.”
The water company is currently using cutting edge equipment, developed in France, to identify where misconnections have occurred. The company says it is now using satellite mapping to identify leaks, which allows it to cover a much larger area in a shorter time and search for leaks deep underground or under buildings and roads.
Southern Water also explained the problems it is facing saying that it is predicting a 50 percent deficiency in water supply by 2030. This is because it needs to reduce the amount of water it takes from rivers and underground sources to protect them and the wildlife they support, while the population is predicted to have grown by 19 – 25 percent.
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1. Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023.
Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023. Photo: staff
2. Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023. Katy Taylor, Chief Customer Officer at Southern Water, on the right of the photo.
Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023. Katy Taylor, Chief Customer Officer at Southern Water, on the right of the photo. Photo: staff
3. Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023.
Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023. Photo: staff
4. Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023.
Southern Water's Your Water Matters event at Stade Hall in Hastings Old Town on October 12 2023. Photo: staff