'Frank Talks' For Lewes Councillors After Spill At Reservoir

Sunday, 2 August 2020 06:00

By Huw Oxburgh - Local Democracy Reporter

Lewes councillors have met with South East Water for “frank talks” in light of a spill at Barcombe Reservoir earlier this year.

On June 12, sediment from a South East Water lagoon at Barcombe Reservoir was found pouring into Andrews Stream, a tributary of the River Ouse and a spawning ground for lamprey.

Following the spill, the Lewes Green Party set up a petition – signed by more than 500 people – calling on the water company to begin publishing data on its spills when they happen.

It also called on the water company to ensure no silt is released into the river between April and October in order to “protect spawning grounds and biodiversity.”

The meeting – held on July 21 and described as a “frank talk” by councillors- was called in response to the petition, with South East Water sitting down with Lewes District officers and Green Party councillors Matthew Bird, Imogen Makepeace and Adrian Ross.

Peter King, director of the Ouse and Adur Rivers Trust, also attended the meeting.

Speaking after the meeting, Cllr Johnny Denis (Green, Ouse Valley and Ringmer,) said:

“This petition has put pressure on the water companies to listen to all our concerns. I am pleased to say that South East Water has responded positively.

“They recognise what went wrong and have put in measures to reduce the chance of it happening again. They know we are paying attention.”

According to South East Water the spill has prompted a thorough review of procedures at the reservoir, with new handling procedures and management sign off requirement before the gate can be opened in future.

South East Water’s head of water resources Lee Dance said:

“We are sorry that human error led to sediment from a drinking water cleaning process being released from our lagoons into a ditch at Barcombe in June.

“We have been working closely with the Environment Agency since and have put a range of measures in place to prevent this happening again.

“We know about the sensitive fish spawning habitats in Andrews Stream and take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously.

“I thank members of the Green Party and Lewes District Council for attending the recent meeting where we discussed a wide range of topics including the sediment release and our mitigation since, as well as the wider work we’ve been undertaking over the past five years to improve the quality of water within the River Ouse.

“The meeting was extremely constructive and we’re looking forward to working in partnership with local groups, including Lewes District Council, in the future to create a more environmentally resilient catchment.”

By Huw Oxburgh, Local Democracy Reporter.