Accessibility and Display Options

Choose accessibility and display settings
Text Preferences
Colour Schemes
Cookies
Save Close

 


What is a stormwater overflow?

An event where excess water which is at risk of overwhelming the sewage system during periods of rain is released into the water environment to prevent both flooding and excess water backing up into homes and business. The releases are typically heavily diluted with rainwater and in most cases are consented releases permitted by the Environment Agency.

What are storm overflows? (southernwater.co.uk) External Hyperlink

Role of Fareham Borough Council

The Council is increasingly aware of a number of incidents relating to stormwater overflows being released into the bathing waters of the Solent and are also aware of the impacts of these stormwater releases on the marine environment, communities and local businesses.

The Council is unable to direct Southern Water to make investments and improvements in its wastewater network to deal with stormwater releases and it cannot use any enforcement measures if Southern Water fail to comply with its environmental permit. The role of enforcement is carried out by the Environment Agency.

Despite this, the Council raises the issue of stormwater releases with Southern Water through responding to their business and Drainage Wastewater Management Plans External Hyperlink, which are long-term plans – spanning 25 years or more – that set out the investments needed to make wastewater and drainage systems fit for today and the future and through the Council's partnership working with the Partnership for South Hampshire. The Council uses these opportunities to raise the wider issues of climate change (which could lead to increases in storm overflows and flooding), population growth (which could lead to increased burden on existing infrastructure) and aging assets and infrastructure as important challenges Southern Water need to address and invest in.

Role & priorities of Southern Water within the East Hampshire Catchment

Southern Water have a Storm Overflow Task Force External Hyperlink who are a dedicated team responsible for driving Southern Water's ambitious targets to significantly reduce storm overflows by 2030. The team are piloting schemes across the region, building long-term cross-industry partnerships, and developing a regional plan to ensure we have a sustainable system fit for the future.

Role of The Environment Agency

The Environment Agency External Hyperlink are the environmental regulators for Wastewater undertakers such as Southern Water. It is the Environment Agency's responsibility to ensure Southern Water comply with environmental permits and monitor impacts from Southern Water's activities. Where Southern Water fail to comply with environmental permits, it is the Environment Agency who is responsible for taking necessary action.

Ensuring Southern Water's infrastructure can cope with development set out in the Adopted Fareham Local Plan 2037.

Southern Water were consulted at each stage during the production of the Fareham Local Plan. They initially raised concerns about the ability of parts the sewer network to accommodate the development being proposed for some of the emerging housing allocations in the Plan. This was principally in relation to the limited capacity of the sewer network in that area to accommodate additional sewage and improvements will be necessary to reduce the risk of sewer flooding. Southern Water requested that the Council's Development Management team consult them on any future planning applications in those areas where there is limited capacity in the sewage network. These actions were agreed by the Council and Southern Water in a signed Statement of Common Ground. This can be viewed here PDF (231 KB).

Concerns were not raised by Southern Water through the Local Plan process as to the ability of their wastewater treatment works to accommodate the scale of development being proposed through the Local Plan.

Useful Links

Southern Water have a dedicated website which displays near real-time storm release activity information relating to our coastal bathing waters. Beachbuoy (southernwater.co.uk) External Hyperlink
Should residents wish to raise their individual concerns about the impact of stormwater overflows on the marine environment they should to southern water here. External Hyperlink

 




Back to top of page Back to Top How to get here RSS Feeds