Sewage, Secrets and Public Health: What’s Really in Our Water
- gillhickman2024
- Jul 26
- 4 min read
Something is terribly wrong with our water.
In March this year, we experienced a couple of days of intense rainfall, and the result was surface water flooding in the bottom of town. Residents saw sewage appearing in their gardens and alarm bells were rung. Looking out from the bridge over Lymington River at the level crossing, one resident noticed something disturbing. The reedbeds looked stressed, and the water at a nearby CSO smelled foul. We investigated and interviewed that resident who had already reported sewage backflow into his garden to the Environment Agency. We took samples. Three times.
The results were staggering. E. coli levels at this CSO into Lymington River were one hundred times above the legal limit, and this wasn’t a one‑off. All tests showed consistently high results. This was not permitted storm release. This was released during a hot dry spell. This was illegal spill. It all smacked of broken pipes or cross‑contamination. We raised the alarm and discovered that Southern Water appeared unaware of a pumping station at the site. We had the evidence but neither Southern Water nor the Environment Agency have responded, although they have logged the ‘incident’.
E. coli: How Dangerous Is It?
Location | E. coli (CFU/100 ml) | Legal limit | Status vs threshold |
Lymington reedbeds | 51,700 | 1,000 | >50× legal limit; >200× “excellent” threshold |
Walkford Brook (Chewton Bunny) | 2,500 | 1,000 | >2× legal limit |
So the CSO at Lymington is over 50 times the legal leimit. At these levels, even brief contact with water poses a serious risk of infection. Health risks include:
· Diarrhoea and stomach cramps
· Ear, eye and skin infections
· Urinary tract infections
· Sepsis (in vulnerable individuals)
Children, the elderly and immuno-compromised people are especially at risk. Yet no public warning signs are in place. This isn’t just pollution — it’s a public health failure.
Intestinal enterococcus is another faecal bacterium monitored under UK and EU bathing water regulations. It tends to survive longer in seawater and is strongly associated with gastrointestinal illness, ear infections, and skin rashes. We would like to measure this too.
Why This Matters
The reedbeds are not just any old wetland: this section of river flows through a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), one of the New Forest’s many ecologically valuable habitats and supposedly a protected area of international importance. Just downstream lie:
· Lymington Marina, with hundreds of boats and regular water users
· The Seawater Baths, popular with local and visitor families and swimmers,
· Fragile salt marshes, home to invertebrates, fish nurseries and birds
Yet there has been no public warning, no cleanup, and no explanation. What’s being contaminated isn’t just a river and a patch of reeds; it’s part of a connected ecosystem, a tourist economy, and a public health risk. This is what environmental neglect looks like.
Avon Beach: A Blue Flag in Name Only?
This isn’t an isolated case. If anything, the Lymington leak is part of a much wider pattern. In 2024, Southern Water discharged raw or partially treated sewage 138 times at or near Avon Beach; roughly one release every two to three days. As in our Lymington example, some of these discharges occurred in dry weather, which is not what overflow systems are meant for.
Despite this, Avon Beach still flies a Blue Flag, a status meant to guarantee good water quality. But when we carried out our own testing this spring, we found E. coli levels dangerously above safety thresholds. One sample nearby was more than ten times the legal limit. If Blue Flag beaches can still be repeatedly polluted, what does that say about our regulatory systems?
What About Other Beaches?
Earlier in the year, we tested Walkford Brook at Chewton Bunny, a small watercourse that discharges straight onto Highcliffe and Barton beaches, less than a mile from Avon Beach. Again, results were deeply worrying: elevated E. coli levels, with clear signs of faecal contamination in a stream that feeds directly into a popular family swimming beach.
It’s a reminder that sewage pollution isn’t limited to obvious or urban spots. Quiet streams and beaches are largely unmonitored but are heavily used by people.
Testing Across the Forest: A Bigger Picture
Lymington. Avon. Chewton Bunny. This isn’t a coincidence; it’s a pattern. We’ve been quietly sampling streams, brooks, and reedbeds across the New Forest. Some areas look pristine. But our testing has revealed chronic pollution, even in places with no nearby farmland or obvious sources.
Some cases point to leaking infrastructure, historic sewer routes, or overflows no one wants to talk about. Lymington is a perfect example. In many locations, there is no public data - and no one is looking. If we hadn’t gone out looking, these stories would have stayed hidden.
That’s why we do this work.
What’s at Stake
· Public health, especially for those using the water
· SSSIs and estuaries, legally protected but quietly contaminated
· Wildlife, from fish and birds to soil and invertebrate life
· Tourism and local economy, which depend on safe waters
· Trust in water companies and regulators, which is evaporating fast
What Can You Do?
Raise your voice: Email your MP. Ask your local councillors what they’re doing about Southern Water and enforcement failures. Demand better from the Environment Agency.
Spot and report pollution: If you see cloudy water, odd smells, dead fish, or unusual flows, report it. Take photos. Tell us, and we’ll follow up.
Join New Forest Friends of the Earth: We’re a small group, but we get things done. Whether you want to test water, write to decision-makers, speak up at meetings, or support quietly behind the scenes, there’s a place for you.
Share this story: Most people have no idea how bad things are. Help us shine a light on it.
Join Us — Help Protect the New Forest
At New Forest Friends of the Earth, we believe that local voices matter. We’re not waiting for someone else to fix it. We’re tracking the pollution, demanding transparency, and pushing for real change - from council chambers to coastlines.
If you’re frustrated by greenwash and official silence, you’re not alone. Join us.
e-mail Newforestfoe@gmail.com
Next meeting: September 2nd, Sway Place. Contact us first
Help protect what we still have, and fight for what’s already being lost.
Because the water should be clean. The laws should be enforced. And the people who live here deserve the truth. Please help us do something about it.
Comments