Brighton

The Problem

Brighton and Hove has a population of 250,000 people but no modern day sewage treatment system. All of its sewage is discharged raw each day through a long sea outfall off Telscombe Cliffs. The amount of untreated sewage going in the sea each day is staggering and is the equivilant of 80 Olympic sized swimming pools.

Watersports thrive in this part of the UK with international kitesurfing and windsurfing competitions regularly visiting. Unfortunately those using water for recreation continue to run a health gauntlet.

Brighton and Hove should have updated their sewage treatment system to meet the EU's Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive. This Directive came into force at the end of 2000 and the UK Government may soon face huge fines from the European Commission if this Directive is not met.

A planning application has been submitted by Southern Water in 2005 but it fails to incorporate full sewage treatment, instead it proposes to upgrade the current system to secondary level treatment.

SAS is challenging this application calling for full sewage treatment.

The Solution

SAS is calling for full treatment to be provided at the modernised sewage treatment plant. Not only would this provide clean and safe water for recreational water users but it also would allow wastewater to be reused to help offset current water shortages that the company are currently facing because of frequent drought conditions.

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