Friday 8 July:
Work is progressing well to fix the burst on the wastewater main in Lancing.
When this incident happened we were just days away from undertaking a re-lining scheme to future proof the pipe. If things progress as planned, we anticipate being able to start the permanent repair next week.
It’s important that the work is undertaken safely so traffic management currently remains in place. We recognise that the A259 is a busy road and we would like to thank everyone for their ongoing patience.
Wednesday 6 July:
We’re continuing to work hard to fix the burst wastewater main in Lancing. We recognise the ongoing disruption we are causing and we are sorry for the inconvenience. Our customer team remain onsite to answer questions and support local residents.
With the wastewater cleared away, specialist teams have been cleaning and sanitising the area. The tankers will remain onsite to ensure that we can maintain the flow of water while we continue with identifying the problem and putting a repair in place.
Traffic management is in operation on the A259 to ensure that the work can be undertaken safely. We know this is a busy area and are sorry to the road users that will be impacted.
Tuesday 5 July:
We continue to work hard on a burst wastewater main in Lancing. We are extremely sorry for the ongoing disruption and distress caused to our customers. Our liaison team is onsite to provide support and will be there for as long as needed.
Overnight our tankers and pumps cleared the flooding so we can now start digging to reveal the burst and decide on a method for repair.
This morning we will also be prioritising the clean-up and disinfection of the pathways and roads. We will work with customers to ensure any driveways affected are also thoroughly cleaned.
To allow all this work to happen safely, traffic management must stay in place on the A259. The A259 is a busy route, and we are very sorry to all road users that will be impacted by this.
Monday 4 July:
We are extremely sorry for the disruption caused by a burst wastewater main in West Way, Lancing. Our customer team is already onsite and we will do all we can to support people.
We completely understand the distress felt by the residents who are yet again affected by flooding in their road. This is particularly frustrating as we were just days away from undertaking a re-lining scheme to future proof the pipe.
Our priority is now to stop the spill by using tankers to take on the flow of wastewater – the tankers carry out crucial work meaning that many nearby homes can continue to use their kitchens and bathrooms as normal. Once they are in place the pumping stations serving the pipe can be switched off and we will start clearing up.
To allow all this work to happen there will be traffic management in place on the A259. This allows work to be undertaken safely without a complete road closure. The A259 is a busy route, and we are also sorry to all road users that will be impacted by this.
Notes to Editors:
This is the sixth time since October 2021 the same 2km stretch of pipe has burst in three different places.
The main runs directly under the road in and out of the West Beach Estate, which is why lining is a better, quicker, and less disruptive option than digging up and replacing the pipeline in full.
The cause of the burst previously was due to high pressure on an old pipe corroded from the outside by salt water. We are investigating reports that today another utility company was working and digging in the area of today’s burst.
The estate is privately maintained, and the surface water drainage system is separate from the sewage network – Southern Water is responsible for the sewage system only and not the surface water drainage gullies.
Residents received a letter/email around 29 June confirming start of works on mid-July.