Local MP Alan Mak has secured a commitment from Southern Water to cut their pollution incidents by 80% by 2025, and an 80% reduction in combined sewer overflows by 2030.
Mr Mak founded the Southern Water Regional Forum to keep up the pressure on the water company to cut their discharges, and he chaired the Forum’s meeting on Friday 26 November 2021 which brought together MPs from the Solent region, local government representatives, community group representatives and representatives from Southern Water.
At the Forum meeting Southern Water also confirmed they would meet the new legal duty set out in the Environment Act which was approved by Parliament earlier this month to set out detailed plans for reducing discharges into Langstone and Chichester Harbours. Southern Water committed to the Act’s legal timetable for implementing the changes that will be required to see these improvements come into force.
The Forum will meet again in February 2022 and April 2022 to review Southern Water’s draft plans. A final plan is due by the end of September 2022.
Local MP Alan Mak said: “I’ve been campaigning to reduce Southern Water’s discharges for several years and I organised the Forum to keep up the pressure on them. I welcome Southern Water’s commitment to meet the new legal duty imposed by the Environment Act to reduce discharges and to set out plans within the new strict timetable set out in law.”
