“It’s frankly disgusting": 500 hours of raw sewage spills into Barcombe Mills in 2021

By Frankie Elliott
Published 1st Apr 2022, 12:17 BST
Updated 1st Apr 2022, 15:58 BST
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Nearly 500 hours of sewage spills took place directly into Barcombe Mills in 2021, according to new data from the Environment Agency.

Nearly 500 hours of sewage spills took place directly into Barcombe Mills in 2021, according to new data from the Environment Agency (EA).

The annual publication of this data is provided by Southern Water and other wastewater companies to the EA.

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Southern Water said this data shows storm water releases made to protect homes and schools from flooding and are how the system was designed.

The Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary, has criticised the Conservatives’ inaction on the issues, and their blocking of opposition attempts to clean up rivers.The Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary, has criticised the Conservatives’ inaction on the issues, and their blocking of opposition attempts to clean up rivers.
The Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary, has criticised the Conservatives’ inaction on the issues, and their blocking of opposition attempts to clean up rivers.

Greater public awareness has made the system an issue of public concern and yesterday the government started a consultation on reducing the use of the system. The Lib Dem Parliamentary candidate for Lewes, James MacCleary, has criticised the Conservatives’ inaction on the issues, and their blocking of opposition attempts to clean up rivers.

Mr MacCleary said: “This really should be the final straw, and Conservatives, including local MP Maria Caulfield, should do the easy thing and support the action we all want to see taken to stop raw sewage being dumped directly into the River Ouse.

“It’s frankly disgusting to think about the sheer scale of what is being pumped into our local environment. I was recently at Barcombe Mills and the scale of the problem was very clear to anyone with a nose."