Sewage Pumped Out In Langstone Harbour

As the drains and sewers in Portsmouth struggled to cope with the torrential rain in recent weeks, it turns out Southern Water had to ease pressure by pumping lots of sewage out to sea.

In June alone, it happened 21 times in Langstone Harbour.

The company says last month was the wettest on record and they needed to do it to prevent flooding.

A Southern Water spokesman said: "Southern Water's outfall at Fort Cumberland and Drayton are only used during heavy rain when our storm tanks become full.

"The outfalls allow stormwater to be released into the sea to prevent the flooding of homes, gardens and the environment.

"June was the wettest on record and the torrential rain meant several releases were needed to prevent flooding. 

"This is done with consent from the Environment Agency and is normal practice in the water industry.

"We are designing a £20 million scheme to divert rainwater from Portsmouth's sewers to ease the pressure on the system during storms."