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Southern Water · overflow SWS00844

No active event

NORTH SEA

Southern Water reports no current spill. In the last 30 days the overflow has discharged a cumulative 1.1 h across 1 events.

📍 51.38434°, 1.07628°

Spill record· last 12 months

2

spill events

2h

cumulative discharge

1.1 h

longest single event (all time)

2026-03-13

first event on record

In the last 30 days this overflow recorded 1h of discharge. Across Southern Water's 1,031 monitored overflows the median was 0h. This site is in the top 4% by 30-day spill duration.

On the NORTH SEA· 26 other overflows

26 other overflows discharge into the NORTH SEA. Combined recorded discharge in the last 30 days: 319h. Operated by 2 different water companies.

Recent spill events· last 30 days

Nearby water quality· 6 sampling points within 5 km

  • SO-E0000018 · SALINE WATER - COASTAL SITES - NON BATHING/SHELLFISH

    NORTH SEA 100M EAST OF DISCHARGE FROM SWALECLIFFE OUTFALL EES LIST 1&2 SPT

    102 m away

    No swimmer-relevant measurements available.

  • SO-E0007234 · FRESHWATER - RIVERS

    SWALECLIFFE BROOK AT SWALECLIFFE SLUICE

    2.1 km away · last tested 3 weeks ago

    • Intestinal Enterococci140 CFU/0.1l
  • SO-E0007269 · FRESHWATER - RIVERS

    WEST BROOK AT HAMPTON

    2.2 km away · last tested 4 weeks ago

    • Intestinal Enterococci72 CFU/0.1l
  • SO-E0007051 · FRESHWATER - RIVERS

    SWALECLIFFE BROOK

    2.4 km away · last tested 3 weeks ago

    • Intestinal Enterococci710 CFU/0.1l
  • SO-E0004744 · SALINE WATER - DESIGNATED BATHING BEACHES

    TANKERTON EC BATHING WATER SITE- OPP GRAYSTONE ROAD (SITE MOVED FROM E0000019) (12120)

    3.0 km away

    No swimmer-relevant measurements available.

  • SO-E0007305 · FRESHWATER - RIVERS

    REEVES WAY - SWALECLIFFE BROOK

    3.3 km away

    No swimmer-relevant measurements available.

Take action

The record above is verifiable from public Environment Agency and water-company data. Three official accountability channels — pre-filled with the evidence on this page.

Are you here right now?

If you can see foam, sewage debris, dead fish, or smell something wrong — submit a citizen report. Confirmed reports are added to the Truth Engine and strengthen the public record on this overflow.

📷 Report what you saw →

1. Complain to Southern Water

The official complaints route. Most companies require submission through their web form rather than email — open the form, then paste the pre-filled letter.

Preview the letter
Subject: Complaint: storm overflow SWS00844 on the NORTH SEA

Dear Southern Water,

I am writing to formally raise a concern about storm overflow SWS00844,
which public Environment Agency data shows recording 1 spill events totalling 1.1 h in the last 30 days into the NORTH SEA.

Evidence:
- Last 30 days: 1 spill events totalling 1.1 h
- Location: 51.38434, 1.07628
- Source: Environment Agency National Storm Overflow Hub, OGL v3, cross-referenced via River Truth (https://rivertruth.co.uk/overflow/8814)

[Add your personal context here — e.g. how you use this stretch of water and how this incident affects you.]

Please respond with:
1. The cause of this discharge or monitor outage
2. The action being taken to resolve it
3. The expected timeline for resolution
4. What measures are in place to prevent recurrence

I have copied the Environment Agency, Ofwat, and my MP into this correspondence
where appropriate.

Yours faithfully,
[Your name]
[Your address]
[Your customer reference if you are a Southern Water customer]

2. Write to the MP for this stretch

This overflow sits in the Canterbury constituency — currently represented by Rosie Duffield (Independent). Click below to open WriteToThem with the letter copied to your clipboard — paste it into the message box.

Or write to your own MP instead

Prefer to write to the MP for where you live? Enter your postcode and we'll redirect WriteToThem accordingly.

Preview the letter
Subject: Constituent concern: Southern Water sewage discharge — overflow SWS00844

Dear [your MP — WriteToThem will fill this in],

I am writing as your constituent to raise concern about ongoing sewage discharges
from Southern Water in our area.

A specific recent example is storm overflow SWS00844, which public
Environment Agency data shows recording 1 spill events totalling 1.1 h in the last 30 days into the NORTH SEA.

Evidence on the public record:
- Last 30 days: 1 spill events totalling 1.1 h
- Location: 51.38434, 1.07628
- Source: Environment Agency National Storm Overflow Hub, OGL v3, cross-referenced via River Truth (https://rivertruth.co.uk/overflow/8814)

[Add your personal context here — e.g. how you use this stretch of water and how this incident affects you and your family.]

I would like to ask:
1. Whether you support strengthening the regulatory regime for storm overflows
   and monitor coverage in particular
2. Whether you would raise this specific incident with the Secretary of State
   for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs or with Ofwat
3. What steps Parliament is taking to hold Southern Water accountable for
   the gap between shareholder distributions and the state of monitoring on
   the ground

Yours sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address — WriteToThem requires a postal address to verify constituency]

Sources: Environment Agency National Storm Overflow Hub · Environment Agency
WIMS Water Quality Archive · cross-referenced via River Truth (https://rivertruth.co.uk/overflow/8814)

MP details are looked up live from the UK Parliament Members API under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0. River Truth makes no claim about this MP's voting or advocacy record on water issues — they are shown solely as the elected representative for this constituency.

3. Report to the Environment Agency

For active pollution incidents — dead fish, foam, sewage on the riverbank — the EA hotline operates 24/7 and triggers a recorded investigation.

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