A Southern Water investigation into pollution in the Lymington River has found that properties were illegally connected to surface water drains instead of the town’s sewer system.
Earlier this year, it emerged that toilets at a block of flats in Southampton had been discharging sewage into the River Itchen since the 1980s.
Royal Court in Upper Grosvenor Road was wrongly connected when it was built, resulting in residents unintentionally flushing nearly 11 million litres of wastewater into nearby drains over four decades.
The contamination came to light when Southern Water tested the quality of the Itchen following a campaign to have it recognised as bathing water.
Southern Water’s investigation is focusing on Brunswick Place, which was built in the 1980s(Image: Newsquest)
Now, an identical issue has emerged in Lymington after checks carried out by New Forest Friends of the Earth revealed that E.coli levels were 80 times the safe limit for bathing.
As reported in the Daily Echo, volunteers have spent months monitoring the river after a resident reported sewage pouring into his back garden.
A Southern Water spokesperson said: “Teams have confirmed that local sewers, pumping stations and treatment sites are working as they should, but a number of illegal connections have been uncovered.
“These are private homes or businesses with wastewater pipes wrongly plumbed directly into surface water drains, causing pollution.”
Southern Water is carrying out work in Cannon Street as part of its attempt to resolve the issue(Image: Newsquest)
Southern Water’s investigation is focusing on Brunswick Place, which was also built in the 1980s.
The spokesperson said: “We’re taking steps to fix these are and using tankers to remove wastewater from the area to protect the environment.
“We’re also working closely with the local authority on our ongoing investigations into any other contributing factors to water quality concerns.”
According to the Lymington Society, work being carried out in Cannon Street will result in Brunswick Place being connected to the area’s main sewer.
Chairman Donald Mackenzie cited what he described as the lack of proper monitoring being carried out by water companies and the vital role played by organisations such as Friends of the Earth.
He added: “Hopefully, the review of the water industry being introduced by the Labour government will lead to a tightening up of regulations and monitoring of all outfalls.”