A major £3m upgrade of the sewer network in two West Sussex villages will better protect households from flooding and prevent storm overflows.
Southern Water teams will be carefully sealing sewers and manhole covers in Charlton and Singleton, in the Lavant Valley, to keep groundwater out of our wastewater pipes during rainy periods.
This £3.3m project follows the completion of a £1.1m project to seal sewers in the neighbouring village of East Dean in 2024, and is similar to work continuing in nearby Funtington and Bosham.
Historically, this area suffers badly with a build-up of groundwater during the wetter months of the year, and when this seeps into the network it can overload the system.
This can cause flash flooding locally, and also trigger storm overflows further down the valley and into Chichester Harbour when the influx of water is too much for Southern Water’s treatment sites and pumping stations to handle – requiring releases into the environment to prevent more homes and communities from flooding.
Once work is complete in Singleton and Charlton, Southern Water plans to continue to work its way down the Lavant Valley.
Joff Edevane, Pathfinder Delivery Lead for Southern Water, said:
“The work we have been doing across the Lavant Valley is already beginning to make a big difference in making sure our network is protected from the impacts of groundwater. We’re excited to begin work in two new villages which will help protect communities and also help to reduce storm overflows and reduce reliance on tankers when our network is under pressure.”
