Raw sewage in sea after pump block
Raw sewage was discharged into the sea off Margate after pumps became blocked by unflushable items such as wet wipes during a storm.
At Canterbury Crown Court, Southern Water admitted pumping the sewage into the water in June 2012. Sentence was adjourned until December 16.
Southern Water said it had since invested £4m in the site and has a further £6m investment plan to ‘ensure the area’s bathing water is cleaner than ever’.
In a statement issued after the hearing, Southern Water’s director of operations Phil Barker said: “We apologise unreservedly for the failure of the waste water pumping station at Foreness Point near Margate.
“The majority of Thanet’s beaches regularly achieve excellent bathing water quality and have seven Blue Flags and three Seaside Awards between them.
“We will continue to invest in the site and work with our partners to ensure Thanet’s bathing waters are clean now and in the future.”
During the storm which blocked the pumps the station was unable to divert flows away for treatment quickly enough and due to the unprecedented volume of rain, it became overwhelmed.
Emergency measures had to be taken to release flows from outfall pipes to prevent wastewater flooding homes and gardens.