Southern Water and River Hamble Harbour Authority build pollution-preventing infrastructure to benefit boaters

Southern Water has invested £100,000 to help the River Hamble Harbour Authority enable Hampshire boaters to keep the waters clean.

The joint initiative to install a 'black water' pump-out station at the Harbour Master's jetty at Warsash will mean boat owners can responsibly dispose of human waste stored aboard cleanly and conveniently - without the need to travel 3 miles clear of the coast before discharging holding tanks legally.

Around 3,200 sailing yachts and motor cruisers on private moorings and in a dozen marinas and boatyards on the eight-mile Hamble river, as well as visiting vessels, will now have the opportunity to discharge waste through the facility and help in reducing discharge levels into coastal waters - an important factor in Southern Water's wider comprehensive plan to drive improvements in water quality.

There are few pump-out facilities in the Solent; until the construction of the Warsash facility, there was only one facility to pump out toilet tanks from boats on the Hamble - at Premier Marina, South of the A27 bridge crossing.

The Chairman of the River Hamble Harbour Authority, Councillor Seán Woodward, said:

"Boat users will now be able to take advantage of our new on-site pump and help us in our collective duty to keep the River Hamble clean of pollution. This is an internationally important environmental site, which is home to a wide variety of wildlife including endangered species. We are pleased to have been able to work with Southern Water to deliver this initiative as part of the River Hamble Harbour Authority's ongoing conservation plans."

Kenan Griffiths, Regional Manager at Southern Water, said:

"The key tasks for us are serving our customers, protecting the environment and boosting regional economies - this pumping out facility does all three. While we are making huge investments in infrastructure - £2 billion across the region between 2020 and 2025 - partnership working like this plays a crucial role in delivering benefit to the environment."

Notes to Editors:

Since 2016 new yachts and motorboats are required under the Recreational Craft Directive to have facilities to fit a holding tank for black water. Boats with tanks should either pump out into a facility like that at Warsash or at least three miles out to sea.

The River Hamble Harbour Authority, part of Hampshire County Council, provides services and facilities to help manage the river for the benefit of all its users.

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