Boost to Southern Water Wastewater Action Plan for Folkestone and Hythe Welcomed - But More is Needed
Southern Water have updated their Folkestone and Hythe Wastewater Action Plan for 2025-2030, detailing wastewater investment in the Folkestone and Hythe district either starting or finishing between 2025 to 2030. The total amount of planned investment for this period is now estimated at around £42m.
Their plan for 2025-30 included only £11m of works, which they outlined in a stakeholders meeting in New Rmoney in 2024.
Folkestone and Hythe District Council Leader Jim Martin, said:
“I think this increase in investment is directly attributable to the action of the Stakeholders group, lead by FHDC and supported by our MPs, with the full and active involvement of Parishes and residents. Together, we have argued Southern Water into a corner, giving them no option except to increase their investment.”
Councillor for Sandgate and West Folkestone, Tim Prater, said:
"This is a step forward. Not enough, but a lot more than we had previously been promised by Southern Water towards reducing sewage pollution in Folkestone and Hythe before 2030.
“It feels like pressure has started to yield results: now need the work delivered whilst more pressure is applied. Less rainwater should be going to sewage, with more diverted to sea and drainaway solutions. Pump capacity along the coast should be further increased to ensure we do not need to see sewage released into the sea ever, let alone hundreds of times a year. when we can trust that the water quality off our beaches is excellent by default, then we'll have seen real progress.”
The plan now includes:
| Location | Planned solution | Value | Estimated start date | Estimated end date |
| Dymchurch WTW | Additional biological treatment capacity and improvements to containment of flow and disinfection. | £10m | 2027 | 2029 |
| Lydd WTW | Chemical dosing to remove Phosphorus. | £3.7m | 2027 | 2028 |
| Brooklands WTW | Chemical dosing to remove Phosphorus. | £2m | 2027 | 2027 |
| West Hythe WTW | Increasing pump capacity at Range Road and West Hythe to reduce storm overflow releases. | £995k | 2024 | 2026 |
| Folkestone Junction WPS | Increasing pump capacity at Folkestone Junction WPS to prevent spills from the storm overflow outfall, as well as improved electrical resilience on site. | £1.6m | 2026 | 2027 |
| Upper Nailbourne Villages | Sewer sealing to reduce the impact of high groundwater on the sewer network system, specifically to reduce the risk of pollution in villages such as Elham, Lyminge and Peene. | £7.5m | 2026 | 2030 |
| Hythe | Sewer sealing to reduce the amount of surface water entering the sewer network, to help reduce storm overflow releases. | £8.6m | 2028 | 2035 |
| Sellinge WTW | Chemical dosing to remove Phosphorus and Nitrogen. | £7.6m | 2027 | 2030 |
Southern Water add:
"In regard to the planned investment at Dymchurch Wastewater Treatment Works (WTW), the latest status is:
- Between 2027 and 2029 we will be spending circa £10m on improvements at Dymchurch WTW, focusing on additional biological treatment capacity, as well as providing more resilience on site to help with Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection of wastewater.
- We’re currently scheduled to start these works in 2027, with completion in 2029.
- We are currently in the design phase of the project, which looks at the most efficient way of delivering the programme and ensuring value for money."