Sewage Still Entering Lymington River: What You Need to Know

It’s not over yet. Our ongoing water quality monitoring at the Lymington River outfall continues to show that sewage is still reaching the river — despite efforts to tackle the problem.

During the autumn, Southern Water carried out work at Brunswick Place to divert sewage from that housing area into the proper foul sewer. That was a positive step, but there are still other sources discharging untreated sewage into the river. One of these is the Phoenix Room at Lymington Community Centre, where the toilets have been out of action for several months. The problem? Foul sewage is entering the surface water drain instead of the foul sewer, a type of misconnection that allows sewage to bypass treatment and flow directly into rivers. We believe this is not the only source of current pollution to the Lymington River: there is more to come.

While we are really pleased that Southern Water has identified the problem, the Community Centre urgently needs the fix. Their toilets remain unusable, and ongoing works are blocking part of the car park, making daily operations difficult.

Why This Matters

Our latest reading at the river outfall was 21,000 CFU (colony-forming units) of E. coli per 100 ml. To put that in context: levels above 1,000 CFU per 100 ml are considered very unsafe for swimming. High E. coli counts indicate that human waste is entering the water, which can carry pathogens and pose a risk to anyone coming into contact with the river. Read an earlier blog post which explains how E.coli is an indicator of the presence of other pathogens.

Misconnections like this are more common than most people realise. Surface water drains are designed to carry rainwater only, but when toilets or sinks are accidentally or incorrectly plumbed into them, untreated sewage can flow directly into rivers and streams. This is a public health concern as well as an environmental issue, affecting local wildlife, recreation, and the overall health of the river ecosystem.

Looking Ahead

We continue to monitor the outfall closely. The problem at Lymington Community Centre shows that one fix doesn’t solve the wider issue;  there may be other sites discharging sewage into the river that haven’t been identified yet. Monitoring helps us track where problems persist and supports the call for repairs and proper sewer connections.

For now, our message is clear: don’t go into the river, and if you notice unusual discharges or smells, report them to the Environment Agency. Keeping the Lymington River safe and clean requires attention, action, and collaboration between the community and water authorities