AFTER months of action, three pumps discharging sewage into the River Lavant have finally been turned off.
The ‘emergency measures’ were put in place by Southern Water to prevent homes in the Lavant Valley from flooding during ‘the wettest year on record’.
The water company has promised to protect homes in Charlton, Singleton and Lavant from sewer flooding by sealing the sewers.
West Sussex County Councillor Mike Hall condemned Southern Water’s actions as ‘completely unacceptable’ and said the 40-year-old drainage system couldn’t cope with the pressure.
Southern Water said they will ‘conduct extensive surveys’ of the sewers and install flow monitors and remote controlled CCTV vehicles as part of a £4 million plan to combat the flooding.
Mel Karam, director of assets at Southern Water, said: “We have a firm plan in place to bring long term relief to the communities affected in the valley, including improvement schemes such as reseeding the area around the pond at East Dean which has been damaged by tanker movement.”