Protest planned after Emsworth child hospitalised by exposure to polluted seawater
Protesters are taking a stand against sewage being polluted into Solent waters.
A child has been rushed to hospital after being exposed to polluted seawater, say environmental campaigners.
On Saturday, May 16, a group of protesters will be taking a stand in Emsworth, amid ongoing complaints about sewage being polluted into the Solent. Surfers Against Sewage, Final Straw Foundation and others are all planning to make their thoughts known.
It comes following an incident where a child ended up in hospital, after spending time in the sea.
Becky Corkery, from Emsworth, said: “‘My son Charlie became seriously ill after exposure to polluted seawater, and it led to him being hospitalised. Since then, something as simple as a family day at West Wittering Beach is no longer carefree.
“I find myself questioning whether it’s safe to let my child into the sea at all and the most worrying part is how many families still don’t know the risk they’re taking.”
The protest, being held at Emsworth Mill Pond, will see campaigners armed with placards - having invited swimmers, paddlers, surfers and more to take part. They will be paddling out into the water as part of the protest.
Locally, it comes as water bills across the Solent region increase, with some households seeing a 47 per cent increase in their annual bills from Southern Water.
The water company says this hike will pay for improvements to infrastructure, and to protect the environment; meanwhile, dividends have not been paid out by the company since 2017, and won’t be until at least 2030. Statistics from Southern Water also show that pollution incidents have dropped by 30 per cent since 2023 - but concerns about safety still remain.
Bianca Carr, CEO of Final Straw Foundation, said: “We are taking part in this national protest because the status quo is simply unacceptable. Our daily testing in Emsworth has shown firsthand the impact of untreated sewage on our local environment. While water companies pay out huge dividends and bonuses, our ecosystems are being decimated, and our community’s health is being put at risk.
“We are paddling out to show regulators and the government that we will not back down until we see real legislative change and an end to sewage pollution for good.”
The Environment Agency has rated the bathing water at West Wittering as ‘excellent’ over the past few years.
A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “Protecting public health and the environment is a priority for Southern Water and, while bathing water quality can be impacted by a number of factors, we're committed to improving the health of our local waters.
“As part of our five-year transformation plan we're investing £8.5bn to reduce storm overflows, strengthen infrastructure, and improve monitoring and transparency. We also provide near real-time information on storm overflow activity through our public reporting tools, so people can make informed decisions.
“We take concerns raised by residents and campaigners seriously and will continue to engage openly with our communities as we work to deliver lasting environmental improvements.”