Tankers could be in village for foreseeable future

Tankers have been in Southwick clearing waste since the end of February

Southern Water expects to be on the scene in a Sussex village for the “foreseeable future” after heavy rain overwhelmed the sewage system.

Tankers have been in Southwick since February 22 clearing excess sewage and taking it to treatment works.

Residents have seen sewage flowing down the streets, while living with tankers outside their homes and limiting how often they flush the toilet.

Southern Water’s Alex Saunders told BBC Radio Sussex teams were working “24/7” to deal with the “exceptional pressure” on the sewage system.

He added: “For the foreseeable future we are going to be there.”

Mr Saunders said workers would be there to look after residents, make sure they were protected and to stop water from the sewer network getting into the environment.

Resident Becky Gravet said she’d had a tanker outside her house for 36 hours and that the situation was the worst she’d seen in many years.

She described the support from Southern Water as “fantastic”.

Mr Saunders said the situation had been caused by the wettest February on record, adding that 750bn litres of rain had fallen in Sussex since December.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.