Burst sewage main down Cinque Ports Way, Bulverhythe Beach area, St Leonards. SUS-210730-104334001Burst sewage main down Cinque Ports Way, Bulverhythe Beach area, St Leonards. SUS-210730-104334001
Burst sewage main down Cinque Ports Way, Bulverhythe Beach area, St Leonards. SUS-210730-104334001

‘Terrible’ sewage leak - Hastings council calls for hut owner compensation and complete beach clean

Hastings Borough Council has met with Southern Water to discuss the clean-up operation at Bulverhythe beach.

There was a major sewage leak in July, affecting beach huts and the coast, resulting in a warning against swimming at all Hastings beaches at the height of the summer season.

Council leader Kim Forward said: “ The Southern Water chief executive apologised for the terrible leak in July and explained that it was a very unusual system failure. Testing is ongoing to reduce the chances of further incidents.

“We will be meeting with Southern Water on an on-going basis to hear the results of the investigations, and so we can make sure that the beach is restored to its former state and that all beach hut owners who were affected are compensated. 

“We are also keen to work to build on our relationship with Southern Water so that we can deal with any future incidents as efficiently and effectively as possible.”

Southern Water Chief executive Ian McAulay added: “ In addition to the work on the clean-up from the summer’s burst at Bulverhythe, Hastings will continue to be a priority for our misconnections team which has already prevented hundreds of thousands of litres of sewage entering surface drains and directly impacting the environment.

“With fresh investment from our new majority shareholder, our investment plans across the region are being both widened and accelerated and we will ensure the benefits are felt by customers and the environment.”