Sewage smell in Southwick '˜should fade' as blockage is removed

The odour, which could some days be whiffed as far east as Hove Lagoon according to residents, should now fade, the spokesman said.

Tony Parker, Director of Engineering at Shoreham Port, said in a statement on social media: “The smell in Southwick is one of sewage and it is coming from the Southern Water waste water pumping station on Albion Street opposite the end of Grange Road.

“On three recent occasions, the problem at the pumping station has caused sewage to flow out of the drains into the Port’s Dry Dock building and our office car park and the smell in our head office, Nautilus House, can be nauseating at times.

“We are therefore just as anxious as local residents, our tenants and our employees to see Southern Water resolve the issue effectively and quickly.”

He said he was in contact with Southern Water over the issue.

A spokesman from Southern Water said: “The source of the recent odour was a blockage in the local sewers that was restricting flows of wastewater through the system.

“This has now cleared, meaning the smell should fade.

“The blockage was largely made up of ‘rag’, such as wet wipes, together with congealed cooking fat, oil and grease, or FOG.

“We have an ongoing awareness campaign to encourage customers to dispose of items like wet wipes and FOG via the bin to help prevent sewer blockages and other problems.

“The blockage in question was not apparent when our staff conducted their initial investigation work last week and we are now completing a further survey of the area to help ensure there are no other potential problems.

“If anything is found, it will be dealt with – for example, by using a tanker equipped with a high-powered water jet to clear or remove any debris.

“We are very grateful to everyone who reported the odour issue to us.

“We would also encourage anyone who needs to highlight any possible problems to us to call our main Technical Contact Centre on 0330 303 0368.”