Agenda item

This report sets out a response to an issue, raised by Councillor Osborne, concerning flooding.

Discussion:

Members considered a report which set out a response to an issue, raised by Councillor Osborne, concerning flooding.

Councillor Osborne commented that he had requested this item as he wanted to see public reporting mechanisms introduced of major flood events, greater transparency around data held by Southern Water and a programme to reduce storm overflows.

Southern Water representatives made the following points:

-       Storm overflows contained rain and sewage and were an essential part of the sewage system to prevent flooding.

-       Their aim was to dramatically reduce storm overflows by 80% by 2030.

-       One option would be to increase the size of size of sewers but this would be expensive and disruptive. The preferred option was to tackle the problems at source and remove rainwater elsewhere. Southern Water wanted a sustainable and affordable solution and would be working with its partners on this.

-       Work was underway to produce a Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan.

-       Southern Water were testing how inland bathing waters could be shown on the Beachbouy website to provide near real-time information about releases of stormwater or wastewater along the South East coast, with a view to rolling out in 2023 and into 2024.

-       Data was currently hard to digest and a summary would be provided to Members.

-       Members were invited to visit a wastewater treatment works.

Members discussed the following issues:

-       Internal Drainage Boards – Southern Water confirmed they were working with the Boards.

-       BeachbouyWebsite – following a request to accelerate the roll out of the website as referred to above, Southern Water commented the delay was about improving the user interface and it was possible the new website could be piloted in Medway.

-       Current sewer sizes – in terms of whether capacity standards in new developments were sufficient, Southern Water advised they had provided planners with the standards they expected to see. 

-       Expansion of hard standing areas expansion – Southern Water noted this had doubled in recent years but enforcement was a challenge. However, they were keen to co-operate with partners on education and enforcement.

-       Wastewater discharges into the River Medway – the extent of this and how this compared to similar areas was queried. Southern Water advised that in 2021, for the whole river, there had been 121 storm overflows activated on 1663 occasions. Gillingham had been the second worst affected. Data on this would be shared with Members. The proportion of these overflows by rainwater and wastewater would be looked at.

-       Flood risk in Medway – in terms of the risks to the public, Southern Water stated this was a complicated picture. Responsibility for dealing with flooding depended on where it occurred. There was a need to find a way to make flood risks clearer to the public. The Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan would increase transparency by showing which areas were at risk of sewage flooding. Southern Water advised there was an emerging risk relating to the Medway and Swale estuary with a concern about nutrients being discharged due to development in Medway and Kent.

-       Storm overflow Task Force and the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan – surprise was expressed that the Task Force was relatively new and the Plan had not yet been produced. Southern Water assured Members work had already been underway. Overflows were permitted activities and if Southern Water had gone beyond their permit conditions the regulator would have seen this as inefficient. The Environment Act was being changed to bring in new standards to tackle storm overflows but funding this would be a challenge. Consultation on the plan was about to start and the Council’s views would be welcomed.

-       Charging for rain water to discharge into the river – in response to a case of a developer in Medway charging for rain water from a development to be discharged into the river, Southern Water commented they were keen to work with the Government and the Environment Agency to find a better solution.

-       Data – a request for more data on outflows was made and an assurance was given on this, including providing maps of the outflow stations and Southern Water contact points.

-       Investment in Medway – how much investment Medway would see and whether costs would be passed onto customers was queried. Members were advised the impact on customers was not yet known but large businesses would probably have to pay more.

-       Information on pollutants from urban streets into river – this would be provided.

Decision:

The Committee agreed to:

a)    Note the response to the Member’s item provided by Southern Water.

b)    Welcome the offer of a site visit to a wastewater treatment works.

c)    Ask Southern Water to provide feedback on the possibility of the Beachbouy website upgrade to provide near real-time information about releases of stormwater or wastewater along the South East coast being piloted in Medway.

d)    Request that Southern Water inform the Council when consultation on the Drainage and Wastewater Management Plan would begin.

e)    Request Southern Water to release to the Committee data showing all releases of wastewater into the River Medway between 2017 and 2020, the locations of outflow stations, details of the type of spill and duration as well as information about nutrients and pollutants and the risk of this to aquatic life, and also Southern Water contact points.

f)      Request Southern Water to contact the Council’s Head of Planning about the emerging risk to the Medway and Swale estuary due to developments.