Update May 19 12:00
“The repair to the broken sewer north of Bognor is complete. This has been a challenging and complex operation working through the night.
The massive tanker operation – a record number for this type of operation- we put in place served its purpose and the repair was made with out us being forced to release wastewater into the environment. We’re sorry for all the noise and disruption our 76 tankers are causing. Tankers are now moving out of the area. Some will be kept on our sites in the area as a contingency measure,
No sewage was released to the sea during this operation.
A clean up operation on the field close to the burst is now underway.
We thank customers for their patience and apologise for the disruption we have caused.”
Update May 18 16:00
Alex Saunders. Head of Wastewater Networks at Southern Water, said:
“We’re sorry for the continued noise and disruption from our tankers in Bognor. We’re repairing a large sewer in a field north of town and we must use the tankers to take wastewater to our treatment works to be safely treated.
This is a large and complex operation which must be done absolutely right to protect the environment. There are as many as 58 tankers operating from different pumping stations which feed the broken pipe delivering waste to three different treatment works. This is one of our largest ever tanker operations.
We’re working as quickly as is safe but there are no shortcuts. We will keep our customers updated.”
Update May 17 15:00
“We are currently dealing with a burst sewer pipe in a rural area close to Yapton Road, north of Bognor Regis. Repairs are ongoing and specialist teams have been working round the clock to minimise any impact of this flooding on the environment.
The tankers are safely removing wastewater from the network and from the flooded field for treatment at our sites.
“Whilst we are confident that we have largely contained this flooding, as a precautionary measure, Arun District Council has decided to place warning notices on the shore at Middleton, Bognor and Felpham to provide members of the public with information about the incident.
“We continue to work closely with the local authority and Environment Agency, while the pipe is fixed and the clean-up completed. We are very sorry for any distress caused.”
May 16 17:00
We’re dealing with a burst sewer in a rural area off the Yapton Road, north of Bognor.
To protect the environment and allow customers to use their facilities as normal we will have to use tankers to carry flows away for treatment. We may be using traffic management where there is a risk to pedestrians or traffic.
We’re sorry for the noise and disruption this will cause. We are working as quickly as is safe to make repairs and will keep customers updated.