The Pongy Problem: Sewage Discharge.

The latest debate about raw sewage discharge directly affects me. I have a boat moored in Langstone Harbour, one of the places affected by Southern Water's discharge of raw sewage from it's works. No Gin Palace for me, I blog on Blogger as the Skint Sailor. The boat was a freebie.

The drone video that has gone round the internet and TV is of the discharge of raw sewage from Southern Water's Budds Farm treatment works, which empties directly into Langstone harbour. You can tell when it happens: the smell is let's say potent.

Now this discharge is only supposed to happen during times when the treatment works are overwhelmed by rainwater. Except the discharge happens when there has been no heavy rain, which is supposedly illegal under their operating licence. 

So you can assume that the discharge is a normal operational thing at Budds Farm, because it happens so regularly, even when there has been no rainfall. It seems that Southern Water would rather pay any fines (if they actually do get fined) rather than invest in bigger and better treatment works.

It really has to stop. At one time there was a thriving Oyster business in the harbour. The Oyster beds are still visible on Hayling Island. But now there are signs stating not to harvest shellfish and eat them. I assume because they will be so polluted by the outfall. 

I did query why the local University had a new pontoon out in the harbour growing Oysters, supposedly to bring the business back to Langstone when the Harbour is so polluted. Never assume a University will use common sense...

Or maybe the burgeoning Oyster business is the one putting pressure on Southern Water through all this publicity. 

Either way, it really needs to be resolved. Because I really don't like sailing through sewage.