Burst water main pushes Sussex village sewers ‘to the limit’

Tankers are still in Almodington Lane, Earnley, near East Wittering, Sussex, managing water flows after the pipe burst on December 29.

A spokesman from Southern Water apologised for the disruption caused to residents and said due to the nature of the burst it cannot currently give a timeline for when repairs will be completed.

A previous update from the water company on December 31 said the repair was complex and was being hindered by “challenging” weather conditions.

Tankers have been in place for days (Image: Sussex News and Pictures)“Our teams are tackling a burst sewer at Almodington in West Sussex,” said the spokesman.

“Engineers have been working 24/7 on the sewer repair and a fleet of tankers has been deployed to help with the impact of the burst. We are working on repairing the sewer as soon as possible and we’re sorry for the disruption this is causing residents and businesses in the village.”

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MP for Chichester Jess Brown-Fuller said tankers emptying pumping stations in Birdham, Bracklesham and the Witterings is a “familiar site for locals” when there is an “increase in rainfall”.

She criticised the government’s new housing targets for local authorities, saying large developments will put strain on existing infrastructure.

Plans include a total of 370,000 new homes built by councils in England to achieve Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s target of 1.5 million houses over the next five years.

Jess Brown-Fuller slammed the government’s new housing targets (Image: PA) The government has increased Chichester District Council’s housing target to 1,206 homes, up from the previous figure of 760.

“This is yet another alarming example of a sewer system being pushed to the absolute limits, with a lack of infrastructure along the peninsula to cope with the increased road usage from the tankers,” the Liberal Democrat MP said in a statement on Facebook.

“Most importantly, the 58 per cent increase in government mandated housing targets are a huge cause for concern and this Labour government seem resolute in ignoring our cries for greater protections against large scale development with no infrastructure or protections for our natural environment.

“I will be writing to Steve Reed and Angela Rayner, as I have done before, using this example to highlight the immense pressure the peninsula is under and asking for a review of the housing target.”

A spokesman from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We have inherited the worst housing crisis in living memory and all areas must play their part as we deliver 1.5 million homes as part of our Plan for Change.

“Our ambitious plans to provide the housing we need will not come at the expense of the environment, and we will take a brownfield-first approach to building, so sites which people are desperate to see used will be developed first.”