Sewage: Sussex beaches closed after wastewater discharge

The release at Bexhill beach was caused by a pumping station power failure

Beaches in East Sussex have been closed after untreated wastewater was released into the sea at the shoreline.

Beaches in Bexhill and Normans Bay were shut after "significant" electrical issues at a pumping station.

In neighbouring Hastings, the borough council also advised people from swimming at Pelham Beach due to a pollution risk.

A Southern Water spokesman said the firm was "deeply sorry" and it understood "the distress this causes".

The liquid, including sewage, started being released when the primary power and back-up system failed on Wednesday.

Power was restored by the evening, with emergency generators in place.

Juliette Wills is a member of the Bexhill SeaGals, a sea-swimming group with about 1,000 members.

She said the sewage release will affect her mental and physical health because the swimming sessions were more than just a "splash around", and that they also help her while living with a disability.

She believes water companies should be "held accountable", and added: "It is unbelievable and outrageous that the water companies can just continue to get away with this."

'Environmental vandalism'

MPs across Sussex have written to Southern Water and the Environment Agency demanding that Sussex's waterways and coast "are respected and protected" in the wake of the latest discharge.

"In addition to the obvious environmental and community impact, the closure of popular beaches and restrictions on inland waterways causes financial loss to the numerous businesses who rely on our beaches and rivers", they added in the letter, calling for a plan to end discharges.

Hugo Tagholm, head of Surfers Against Sewage, said: "Water companies have flipped from extreme drought to extreme sewage pollution.

"Years of underinvestment is now in plain sight. It's time that huge water company profits were diverted to properly managing water and sewage, and protect people and planet.

"Our rivers and beaches should not be subject to this type of industrial environmental vandalism."

• Apology after estate hit with another sewage leak

• Southern Water 'biggest offender' for pollution

• Swimmers at two beaches warned over sewage spill

Southern Water and Rother District Council are investigating the potential impact on the bathing water quality.

The water firm said it was unsure how many litres of sewage had been released, but it was "liaising closely with the Environment Agency".

Brighton & Hove City Council leader, Phélim Mac Cafferty, said he was "disgusted" and plans to meet Southern Water's chief executive next week.

He said: "Southern Water need to stop the sewage and pay for an immediate clean-up. But they also need to do much more to stop this happening again."

Southern Water said it was continuing to investigate the root cause of the power outage, and would share this with stakeholders and customers when it could.

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