I’ve welcomed a new agreement between West Sussex County Council and Southern Water to tackle storm overflows, reduce flooding and improve water quality, while making clear that residents in Worthing deserve practical improvements, not simply another announcement.
The agreement will see the two organisations work more closely together to manage rainwater, reduce pressure on the sewer network and develop sustainable drainage solutions.
It comes shortly after I challenged the County Council’s administration over what it was doing to tackle pollution entering our stormwater drainage systems, particularly through highway gullies.
As Leader of the Labour Group on West Sussex County Council, I’ve been pressing for a more coordinated approach to tackling the different sources of pollution affecting our coastline.
I therefore welcome this latest development, but I’ll be watching closely to ensure the agreement translates into meaningful action.
Holding the County Council to account
At West Sussex County Council’s Full Council meeting on 16 October, I questioned the Cabinet Member for Environment and Climate Change about the authority’s responsibilities for investigating pollution entering surface water drainage systems.
I asked what action was being taken to identify pollution sources and how the County Council was coordinating with other councils, private water companies and the Environment Agency.
My concern was straightforward.
Protecting Worthing’s bathing waters cannot simply be left to Southern Water.
The County Council has important responsibilities too, particularly in relation to highway drainage, and I’ve been making the case for much closer cooperation between the organisations involved.
During the meeting, the Cabinet Member acknowledged the challenges of managing drainage across more than 4,000 kilometres of roads in West Sussex and committed to seeking further guidance from the Department for Transport.
I welcomed that response, but also stressed the importance of practical action.
Just ten days later, the new agreement between Southern Water and West Sussex County Council was announced.
While this is encouraging, the important question now is what it will deliver for residents.
Sustainable drainage could help reduce flooding and pollution
The agreement focuses on using sustainable drainage systems to manage rainfall more effectively and reduce the amount of excess water entering the sewer network.
These measures could include:
- Rain gardens, which use specially designed planted areas to capture and absorb rainwater.
- Tree pits, which can help manage surface water while supporting urban trees and green spaces.
- Planted drainage channels, which slow and manage rainwater runoff before it reaches conventional drainage systems.
These approaches can help reduce the volume of rainwater entering combined sewers, potentially reducing pressure on the system during heavy rainfall.
Southern Water says the initiative forms part of its wider £1.5 billion Clean Rivers and Seas Plan.
I welcome efforts to prevent problems before they occur, rather than relying solely on responding to flooding and pollution incidents after the damage has been done.
But we also need to ensure that these measures are introduced in the places where they can make the greatest difference.
Investigating pollution entering highway gullies
One of the issues I’ve been particularly keen to highlight is the role of highway drainage.
When rain falls on our roads, it can wash oil, chemicals, litter and other pollutants into surface water drainage systems.
In some circumstances, these pollutants can make their way into local waterways and eventually reach the sea.
We also need to investigate drainage misconnections, where wastewater may be entering systems intended to carry rainwater.
Southern Water rightly faces scrutiny over sewage discharges, but tackling water pollution requires a wider understanding of how contamination reaches our rivers, streams and coastline.
That’s why I’ve been pressing for proper investigations into pollution entering highway gullies, action to address misconnections and greater investment in sustainable drainage.
Every organisation with responsibility for our drainage infrastructure must play its part.
Connecting the agreement with work already under way in Worthing
I’m particularly interested in how this new agreement can complement environmental work already taking place in Worthing.
The town has been selected for a new catchment management pilot focused on the Teville Stream, examining how water moves through the wider area and identifying opportunities to manage flooding more effectively.
This is exactly the sort of preventative approach to climate adaptation that I’ve been advocating.
We’re also seeing progress on bathing water monitoring, including the new community-led seawater testing facility at Splashpoint Leisure Centre.
Alongside that work, Worthing Borough Council has backed my amendments calling for fully independent, year-round bathing water quality monitoring, with Southern Water contributing towards the cost.
These initiatives address different parts of the same challenge.
We need better information about water quality, a clearer understanding of where pollution originates and practical measures to prevent it reaching our coastline.
The new agreement offers an opportunity to connect these efforts with wider action across West Sussex.
Residents need results, not just announcements
Here in Worthing, we’ve had years of concerns about sewage pollution and poor bathing water quality.
People want practical improvements, not simply another agreement between organisations.
I want to see a clear programme of work, proper investment and measurable improvements to our drainage infrastructure and coastal waters.
That means identifying priority locations, investigating pollution sources, delivering sustainable drainage improvements and being transparent about the results.
As both Worthing’s Cabinet Member for the Environment and the County Councillor for Worthing West, I’ll continue raising these issues with the organisations responsible.
I’m pleased that West Sussex County Council and Southern Water are committing to closer cooperation.
But the real measure of success will be whether residents see fewer pollution incidents, better-managed drainage and improvements in the quality of our bathing waters.
An agreement is a welcome start. Cleaner bathing waters and fewer pollution incidents must be the outcome.
That’s what I’ll continue pressing for.
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