PROTESTERS will march through Weymouth this weekend to urge Wessex Water to stop emptying raw sewage off Dorset’s coast.

Campaigners dressed as marine creatures will take to the streets on Saturday April 8, to call on the water utility firm to upgrade sewage networks and end the practice of using emergency outflows.

During heavy or prolonged rainfall, sewers can exceed capacity which means contents are released into the sea and rivers to protect properties from flooding and prevent sewage backing up into streets and homes.

Saturday’s protest is being organised by Extinction Rebellion, and will start at 12pm at the Kings Statue. There will also be stalls and information on the seafront.

Anyone wishing to join is encouraged to come dressed as they are - or as a marine creature, swimmer, surfer, other water user or pollutant.

Meanwhile, organisers have written an open letter to the Wessex Water board of directors: “We are concerned about the dumping of raw sewage – it is harming people and wildlife and we want it to stop.

“Wessex Water’s record for “spills” in 2021 is truly shocking and it is disappointing to find that, after more than 20 years of ownership by YTL, little has been done to address this problem.

“The company’s plans to improve matters, whilst encouraging, are not happening fast enough. It is hard for bill payers to understand how, with critical deficiencies in your sewage network, Wessex Water continues to post huge profits, pay bonuses and issue dividends for failing to adequately protect our environment.

“Weymouth is renowned for sea bathing, water sports and sealife; we are concerned that Wessex Water is not meeting the needs of the environment, rather you are planning to continue polluting it with human faeces, sanitary products, micro plastics and disastrous ‘forever chemicals’ until 2050. That is not an ambitious target.

“Our waterways are on the frontline of the climate and ecological crises, and they are in a dire state. To give our ecosystems a fighting chance of surviving and adapting, sewage dumping must stop now and that responsibility belongs to you.

"We would like answers to the following questions:

  • When will your planned investment deliver the infrastructure to fully process the sewage from Weymouth and its influx of summer visitors and stop sewage discharges or “spills” into rivers and the sea?
  • What plans, if any, do you have to base remuneration (including bonuses) of your CEO and Executive Team on the fulfilment of significant year-on-year reductions in raw sewage releases?
  • Will you be suspending dividend payments to your shareholder until such time as these problems are fixed? And will you invest that money in infrastructure instead?"

In response, a Wessex Water spokesperson said: “Storm overflow discharges in the Wessex Water region have significantly reduced, especially near designated bathing waters where they have halved compared to the previous year, and this is down to last year’s dry weather as well as our £3 million a month investment.

“Our work has included separating rainwater from foul water; sealing parts of the sewer network to prevent groundwater overwhelming sewers; installing storm tanks to increase capacity; nature-based solutions such as reed beds to naturally treat storm water before it’s discharged into local watercourses

“Clearly there’s more to do and we’re committed to continuing to reduce the frequency of discharges, starting with those that operate most frequently or have any environmental impact. We’re also planning to go even further and, if approved by our regulators, will invest more than £9 million per month from 2025.”

More information about the protest on Saturday can be found on Facebook by searching for 'Wessex Water we deserve better.'