Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels River Basin Catchment

We have developed the first Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan (DWMP) for the Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels River Basin Catchment.

We have 18 wastewater systems in this catchment, with 204 pumping stations and 2,798 km of sewers. We cover 18% of the geographical area (mainly the urban areas and villages including Seaford, Eastbourne, Hailsham, Hastings and Bexhill-on-Sea) with 97% of the homes in the catchment connected to our wastewater systems.

Our DWMP sets out our priorities for the Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels River Basin Catchment. These include:

• Reducing the number of spills from the 66 storm overflows which together currently spill around 1200 times per annum
• Separating or attenuating excess rainwater in the sewer networks to reduce the risks of flooding and frequency of storm overflow discharges, especially in Bexhill, Hastings, Newhaven and Hailsham
• Investigating the potential impact of wastewater discharges on Good Ecological Status in designated Habitats at Cuckmere, Pevensey and Hastings
• Developing a nutrient budget by investigating the sources impacting designated habitats sites at Cuckmere and the Pevensey Levels
• Planning for potential significant development at Bexhill-on-Sea
• Addressing saline intrusion and tide locking as part of the Blue Heart Project and Pevensey Bay to Eastbourne Coastal Management Scheme
• Improving the resilience of our networks and treatment works to prevent pollution incidents, particularly in Bexhill, Eastbourne and Hailsham
• Reducing the risk of sewer blockages by increasing sewer jetting and targeting customer campaigns to reduce the amount of FOG (fats, oils and grease) and unflushables in the sewer network around Eastbourne, St.Leonards (Warrior Square) and Castle Hill, Hastings
• Reducing the risk to groundwater by reducing leakage from our sewers in the Westham area of Eastbourne.

All the stages we followed in developing the DWMP for the Adur and Ouse are set out in the subsections below. Please explore these pages to find out more. You can find detailed investment needs in the tables on the Cuckmere and Pevensey Levels Options Development and Appraisal page.