MP Bob Seely says he has received a commitment from Southern Water that it will carry out pipe repairs in Seaview, following pressure from residents and politicians.
The Island’s MP met with Southern Water on Tuesday (15 February) to hear more about its investment plans for the Island. During the meeting, the water company confirmed to the MP that it would carry out repairs to pipes in Seaview.
Following the meeting, Mr Seely said: “Southern Water has confirmed to me today that it will repair the main Seaview Outfall (Combined Sewer Overflow) that lies East of The Old Fort which has been responsible for sewage onto the beach on occasions.
“They have also assured me they will deal with potential issues with pipes in Sandy Cove and the Salterns.
“I would like to express my thanks to Southern Water for this commitment, and also to the Seaview group of residents and councillors who have also pressed Southern Water on this. I am glad they are listening to us and taking action.”
Mr Seely said he had been informed that work was due to take place in Seaview in April during low tides.
Following the meeting, Mr Seely was invited to tour the Sandown Water Treatment Works that processes the majority of the Island’s sewage.
Sandown will be the focus for the water company’s pathfinder scheme that will see millions of pounds invested in infrastructure aimed at significantly reducing sewage and storm overflows into the seas around the Island.
Mr Seely said: “The Sandown site is quite an incredible size and handles the majority of the Island’s wastewater. There are many misconceptions about what actually ends up in the sea as a result of storm discharges so I was pleased to hear more about how they treat the water and what actually gets released.”
Katy Taylor, Chief Customer Officer for Southern Water, said; “We were delighted that Bob could meet us, and several other key stakeholders, to discuss our plans for the Island.
“The commitment to repair the outfall at Seaview is just a small part of an exciting package of works we have for our Island customers. As well as creating a more resilient service, with a reduced reliance on stormwater overflows, the works will bring, what we hope will be a whole host of improvements to the natural environment.
“We look forward to continuing to work in partnership with Bob and our other stakeholders as our plans progress.”