Sewage and the sea · Sewage spills and flood defences
In 2025, storm overflows into Portsmouth Harbour, Langstone Harbour and the Southsea and Eastney coast were counted as spilling 443 times, for 1,848 outfall-hours. That is 37% fewer counted spills than in 2024; the highest year since 2020 was 2023 (840). Rain drives spills, so one year’s fall does not show a lasting change.
2020 is incomplete: 17 of 48 outfalls have no spill count, so its total is too low to compare directly. The same-outfalls series below avoids this.
48 monitored outfalls in these waters. Counted with the Environment Agency’s 12/24-hour method; checked 2026-11-10. These records show how long overflows discharged, not how much.
Where sewage is discharged, and what the water tests show. Explore monitored outfalls, discharge frequency and duration, and the official tests at nearby bathing waters. These measures show different parts of the evidence.
Recorded spill counts across 48 outfalls, 2025
443
Counted with the 12/24-hour method. Several outfalls spilling at once each add to the count, so this is not the number of separate events in the city.
Summed spill duration, 2025
1,848 outfall-hours
Hours added up across outfalls. It is not the time the water was polluted, and it is not a volume. Monitors recorded 97.9% of the year on average.
Bathing-water classification (official annual result)
Based on four seasons of samples. A measured result is a different thing from a recorded discharge.
What this tells us
What it cannot tell us
All Portsmouth waters first, then each water. The last column keeps the same outfalls in every year, so more monitors cannot make the trend look worse.
The first two charts add up every outfall listed each year, so they change when monitors are added. The last two use only the outfalls with a reading in every year. Missing years are shown as gaps, not zero.
| Year | Counted spills | Outfall-hours | Outfalls listed | Average monitor coverage | Outfalls under 90% coverage | Same 31 outfalls every year: spills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 561 | 3,340 | 48 (17 without a count) | 96.7% | 3 | 561 |
| 2021 | 583 | 2,520 | 48 | 96.8% | 2 | 518 |
| 2022 | 620 | 2,886 | 48 | 97.6% | 4 | 505 |
| 2023 | 840 | 5,292 | 48 | 96.7% | 2 | 669 |
| 2024 | 706 | 4,224 | 48 | 96.1% | 5 | 532 |
| 2025 | 443 | 1,848 | 48 | 97.9% | 3 | 378 |
The harbour and the creeks, lakes and rivers named as draining to it: Fareham Creek, Frater Lake, Workhouse Lake, Ports Creek and the Wallington.
| Year | Counted spills | Outfall-hours | Outfalls listed | Average monitor coverage | Outfalls under 90% coverage | Same 25 outfalls every year: spills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 338 | 1,346 | 40 (15 without a count) | 96.1% | 3 | 338 |
| 2021 | 394 | 1,052 | 40 | 96.2% | 2 | 331 |
| 2022 | 429 | 1,373 | 40 | 97.9% | 3 | 316 |
| 2023 | 572 | 2,737 | 40 | 96.1% | 2 | 401 |
| 2024 | 458 | 1,977 | 40 | 95.8% | 4 | 285 |
| 2025 | 288 | 687 | 40 | 97.6% | 3 | 223 |
The harbour, its channels and lakes on the Portsea Island side (Broom Channel, Great Salterns Lake), and the Hermitage Stream and Brockhampton Creek in Havant.
| Year | Counted spills | Outfall-hours | Outfalls listed | Average monitor coverage | Outfalls under 90% coverage | Same 4 outfalls every year: spills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35 | 95 | 6 (2 without a count) | 99.7% | 0 | 35 |
| 2021 | 21 | 54 | 6 | 100% | 0 | 19 |
| 2022 | 37 | 73 | 6 | 94.8% | 1 | 35 |
| 2023 | 44 | 143 | 6 | 99.9% | 0 | 44 |
| 2024 | 30 | 71 | 6 | 97% | 1 | 29 |
| 2025 | 17 | 33 | 6 | 99.8% | 0 | 17 |
The Solent off Southsea and Eastney, including the Eastney long sea outfall from the Budds Farm treatment works, which serves Havant and Portsmouth.
| Year | Counted spills | Outfall-hours | Outfalls listed | Average monitor coverage | Outfalls under 90% coverage | Same 2 outfalls every year: spills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 188 | 1,898 | 2 | 99.8% | 0 | 188 |
| 2021 | 168 | 1,415 | 2 | 98.5% | 0 | 168 |
| 2022 | 154 | 1,440 | 2 | 100% | 0 | 154 |
| 2023 | 224 | 2,412 | 2 | 100% | 0 | 224 |
| 2024 | 218 | 2,176 | 2 | 99.8% | 0 | 218 |
| 2025 | 138 | 1,128 | 2 | 98.5% | 0 | 138 |
Every Southern Water storm overflow whose outlet lies between easting 440,000 and 480,000 and northing 90,000 and 112,000: the Solent coast from Southampton Water to Chichester Harbour, the north-east Isle of Wight and the rivers and streams that drain to them.
| Year | Counted spills | Outfall-hours | Outfalls listed | Average monitor coverage | Outfalls under 90% coverage | Same 93 outfalls every year: spills |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,185 | 16,791 | 138 (44 without a count) | 97% | 5 | 2,135 |
| 2021 | 2,335 | 13,739 | 138 (1 without a count) | 96.1% | 8 | 2,095 |
| 2022 | 2,238 | 15,280 | 138 (3 without a count) | 96.2% | 9 | 2,027 |
| 2023 | 3,826 | 35,290 | 138 | 96.5% | 13 | 3,316 |
| 2024 | 3,162 | 24,082 | 138 | 96.9% | 10 | 2,693 |
| 2025 | 1,986 | 10,991 | 138 | 97.4% | 10 | 1,732 |
Every monitored outfall in these waters, with its spills each year. A dash is a gap, not zero.
Portsmouth HarbourLangstone HarbourSouthsea and Eastney coastBathing-water sampling point
| Outfall | Water | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Trend | Coverage 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Budds Farm Havant Wtw · permit A00753 | Langstone Harbour · Langstone Harbour | 3 | 10 | 12 | 24 | 13 | 9 | 99.8% | |
| Budds Farm Havant Wtw · permit A00752 | Langstone Harbour · Brockhampton Creek | 4 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 99.5% | |
| St Andrews Road Portsmouth Cso · permit A01277 · outlet location changed | Langstone Harbour · Broom Channel | 22 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 99.9% | |
| Kirtley Close Drayton Cso · permit A01387 | Langstone Harbour · Langstone Harbour | 6 | 6 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 100% | |
| Burrfields Road Portsmouth Cso · permit A01386 | Langstone Harbour · Great Salterns Lake | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| Priorsdean Crescent Havant Cso · permit A01016 | Langstone Harbour · Hermitage Stream | — | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 99.7% | |
| Gladys Avenue Portsmouth Cso · permit W00279 · 4 overflows | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 34 | 56 | 63 | 69 | 43 | 85% | |
| Pier Road Southsea Cso · permit W00278 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 59 | 35 | 42 | 21 | 30 | 43 | 50.4% | |
| North End Avenue Portsmouth Cso · permit A01275 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 11 | 30 | 46 | 57 | 49 | 31 | 99.7% | |
| Fareham Road Gosport Outside 359 Cso · permit H01635 · outlet location changed | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 30 | 33 | 41 | 77 | 29 | 26 | 99.7% | |
| Court Lane Cosham Sso · permit A00657 | Portsmouth Harbour · Ports Creek | 5 | 14 | 18 | 17 | 19 | 22 | 100% | |
| Mile End Road Portsmouth No 2 Cso · permit A00973 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 6 | 23 | 12 | 10 | 21 | 18 | 99.7% | |
| Arundel Drive Fareham Cso · permit H01139 | Portsmouth Harbour · Trib Of Portsmouth Harbour | 21 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 9 | 14 | 99.7% | |
| High Street Fareham Cso · permit A01050 | Portsmouth Harbour · Wallington River | — | 18 | 47 | 92 | 85 | 12 | 100% | |
| Mainland Drayton Sso · permit A00656 | Portsmouth Harbour · Ports Creek | 16 | 15 | 22 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 99.9% | |
| Southwick Sso · permit W00248 | Portsmouth Harbour · River Wallington | 9 | 9 | 13 | 37 | 35 | 9 | 99.5% | |
| Grove Road Gosport Ceo · permit A01362 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 19 | 33 | 24 | 18 | 18 | 8 | 99.7% | |
| Foster Road Gosport Ceo · permit A01375 | Portsmouth Harbour · Workhouse Lake, Portsmouth Hbr | 9 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 99.9% | |
| Quay Street Fareham Cso · permit A00334 | Portsmouth Harbour · Fareham Creek/Portsmouth Hbr | 23 | 19 | 22 | 30 | 11 | 5 | 99.7% | |
| Wicor Mill Lane Portchester Ceo · permit A01374 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 14 | 25 | 4 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 100% | |
| Widley Road Portsmouth Cso · permit A01279 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 19 | 17 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 99.7% | |
| Bury Road Gosport Ceo · permit A01382 | Portsmouth Harbour · Workhouse Lake | — | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 100% | |
| Mile End Road Portsmouth No 1 Cso · permit A00971 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 18 | 15 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 99.7% | |
| Salterns Lane Fareham Ceo · permit A01393 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 100% | |
| Cambridge Road Gosport Ceo · permit A01357 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 7 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 100% | |
| Fareham Road Gosport Outside 68 Cso · permit A01361 | Portsmouth Harbour · Frater Lake | 5 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 1 | 3 | 99.7% | |
| Newmans Bridge Southwick Ceo · permit A01308 | Portsmouth Harbour · River Wallington | 2 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 99.9% | |
| Brewers Lane Gosport Cso · permit A01207 | Portsmouth Harbour · Frater Lake, Portsmouth Hbr | 1 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 99.7% | |
| Wickham Road Fareham Cso · permit A01453 · outlet location changed | Portsmouth Harbour · River Wallington | 2 | 2 | 5 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 99.6% | |
| Alver Road Gosport Ceo · permit A01391 | Portsmouth Harbour · Workhouse Lake | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 99.9% | |
| Cow Lane Portchester Ceo · permit A01383 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |
| Harbour Road Gosport Cso · permit A01365 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 99.7% | |
| Lone Valley Waterlooville Cso · permit A01017 | Portsmouth Harbour · Tributary Of River Wallington | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 82.4% | |
| Salterns Lane Fareham Outside 12 Cso · permit A01380 | Portsmouth Harbour · The Portsmouth Harbour | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 100% | |
| Bridgefoot Fareham Ceo · permit A00201 | Portsmouth Harbour · Fareham Creek/Portsmouth Hbr | 14 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 0 | 100% | |
| Cams Hill Fareham Cso · permit A00332 | Portsmouth Harbour · Fareham Creek/Portsmouth Hbr | 43 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 99.9% | |
| Hardway Ceo · permit A01366 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 100% | |
| Holbrook Road Portsmouth Cso · permit A00357 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% | |
| Lees Lane Gosport Ceo · permit A01368 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| Middlecroft Lane Gosport Cso · permit A01447 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% | |
| Mumby Road Gosport Ceo · permit A00350 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 99.5% | |
| Ramblers Way Waterlooville Ceo · permit A01276 | Portsmouth Harbour · Unnamed Trib Of R. Wallington | — | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 92% | |
| St Matthews Square Gosport Ceo · permit A01454 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% | |
| The Anchorage Gosport Ceo · permit A01371 | Portsmouth Harbour · Portsmouth Harbour | — | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 99.9% | |
| Wallington Hill Fareham Cso · permit H01049 | Portsmouth Harbour · River Wallington | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 99.7% | |
| Westbrook Grove Purbrook Ceo · permit A01278 | Portsmouth Harbour · Wallington River Via Drain | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100% | |
| Budds Farm Havant Wtw · permit A00754 | Southsea and Eastney coast · The Solent | 104 | 104 | 102 | 139 | 124 | 86 | 97.5% | |
| Budds Farm Havant Sso · permit A00751 · outlet location changed | Southsea and Eastney coast · The Solent/Langstone Harbour | 84 | 64 | 52 | 85 | 94 | 52 | 99.5% |
Not counted here: outfalls into Black Brook, Blackbrook Stream, Ditch To The River Alver, Hayling Bay, Hoeford Lake, Hoeford Stream, Saline Estuary, Sheepwash Tributary, Stoke Lake, The Potwell Tributary. Their route to these waters is not stated in the returns, so they are kept out of the Portsmouth totals until reviewed. They are in the wider Solent figures.
Official water results, kept separate from spill counts. A spill and a poor result nearby do not by themselves show that one caused the other.
Each year’s class uses samples from the previous four seasons (latest: 2022-05-03 to 2025-09-16). Environment Agency profile ↗
Each year’s class uses samples from the previous four seasons (latest: 2022-05-03 to 2025-09-16). Environment Agency profile ↗
Each year’s class uses samples from the previous four seasons (latest: 2022-05-03 to 2025-09-08). Environment Agency profile ↗
Each year’s class uses samples from the previous four seasons (latest: 2022-05-03 to 2025-09-08). Environment Agency profile ↗
Each year’s class uses samples from the previous four seasons (latest: 2022-05-03 to 2025-09-08). Environment Agency profile ↗
Results in colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 ml, from in-season sampling to 2026-09-21. The 2026 season is not yet classified. Samples the Environment Agency marks discountable (abnormal situations) are kept and labelled.
Each dot is one sample day. Hollow dots are below the laboratory detection limit (shown at the lowest tick). The Environment Agency says water quality here can be affected by heavy rain. Official profile and live status ↗
| Season | Samples | E. coli median | E. coli highest | Intestinal enterococci median | Intestinal enterococci highest | Discountable | Annual class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 18 | 890 | 14 | 230 | 5 | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 20 | 59 | 960 | 27 | 540 | 3 | Poor |
| 2024 | 20 | 32 | 1,200 | 10 | 490 | 1 | Poor |
| 2023 | 20 | 27 | 2,000 | 18 | 3,700 | 0 | Poor |
| 2022 | 20 | 32 | 2,800 | 27 | 1,600 | 0 | Sufficient |
| 2021 | 20 | 27 | 710 | 41 | 420 | 0 | Good |
| 2020 | 3 | 460 | 570 | 260 | 460 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | 10 | 170 | 10 | 130 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2018 | 20 | 10 | 490 | 10 | 164 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2017 | 20 | 10 | 2,100 | 10 | 136 | 0 | Excellent |
Each dot is one sample day. Hollow dots are below the laboratory detection limit (shown at the lowest tick). Official profile and live status ↗
| Season | Samples | E. coli median | E. coli highest | Intestinal enterococci median | Intestinal enterococci highest | Discountable | Annual class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 20 | 10 | 91 | 10 | 36 | 0 | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 20 | 10 | 150 | 10 | 350 | 0 | Good |
| 2024 | 20 | 10 | 73 | 10 | 45 | 0 | Good |
| 2023 | 10 | 18 | 690 | 46 | 2,800 | 0 | Good |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 100 | 10 | 55 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2021 | 20 | 10 | 350 | 10 | 270 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2020 | 3 | 91 | 410 | 55 | 190 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | 10 | 300 | 10 | 37 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2018 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2017 | 5 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Excellent |
Each dot is one sample day. Hollow dots are below the laboratory detection limit (shown at the lowest tick). Official profile and live status ↗
| Season | Samples | E. coli median | E. coli highest | Intestinal enterococci median | Intestinal enterococci highest | Discountable | Annual class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 10 | 45 | 10 | 260 | 0 | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 120 | 10 | 350 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | <10 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 440 | 10 | 1,400 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 1,900 | 10 | 27 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2021 | 20 | 10 | <10 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2020 | 3 | 10 | 140 | 10 | 260 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | 10 | 82 | 10 | 210 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2018 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2017 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
Each dot is one sample day. Hollow dots are below the laboratory detection limit (shown at the lowest tick). Official profile and live status ↗
| Season | Samples | E. coli median | E. coli highest | Intestinal enterococci median | Intestinal enterococci highest | Discountable | Annual class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 10 | 36 | 10 | 27 | 0 | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 250 | 10 | 460 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 500 | 10 | 660 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2021 | 20 | 10 | 18 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2020 | 3 | 10 | 45 | 55 | 120 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | 10 | 64 | 10 | 230 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2018 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2017 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
Each dot is one sample day. Hollow dots are below the laboratory detection limit (shown at the lowest tick). Official profile and live status ↗
| Season | Samples | E. coli median | E. coli highest | Intestinal enterococci median | Intestinal enterococci highest | Discountable | Annual class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 10 | 10 | <10 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Not yet published |
| 2025 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 82 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 10 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 520 | 10 | 970 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2022 | 10 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 45 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2021 | 20 | 10 | 18 | 10 | 18 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2020 | 3 | 10 | 27 | 18 | 55 | 0 | — |
| 2019 | 20 | 10 | 150 | 10 | 890 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2018 | 5 | 10 | 45 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
| 2017 | 5 | 10 | <10 | 10 | <10 | 0 | Excellent |
Percentile of the last four seasons of samples. Excellent and Good use the 95th percentile, Sufficient the 90th percentile. Environment Agency: how bathing water is classified ↗
| Harbour | Bed | Species | Class | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Langstone Harbour | Langstone Channel | Native oysters | B | Must be purified, relaid or cooked before sale |
| Langstone Harbour | Langstone Channel | Pacific oysters | B | Must be purified, relaid or cooked before sale |
| Langstone Harbour | South East Langstone Harbour | Hard clams | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | East Harbour | Hard clams | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | East Harbour | Native oysters | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | East Harbour | Pacific oysters | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Fareham Lake | Hard clams | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Fareham Lake | Native oysters | C/Time Limited Prohibition | Class C, with harvesting prohibited for a set period. Prohibited 1-30 September, Class C from 1 November - 31 August (subject to additional sampling in October) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Fareham Lake | Pacific oysters | C/Time Limited Prohibition | Class C, with harvesting prohibited for a set period. Prohibited 1-30 September, Class C from 1 November - 31 August (subject to additional sampling in October) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Fareham Lake Middle | Native oysters | B | Must be purified, relaid or cooked before sale |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Fareham Lake Middle | Pacific oysters | B | Must be purified, relaid or cooked before sale |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Paulsgrove and Portchester | Carpet clams | C | Must be relaid for a long period or cooked before sale |
| Portsmouth Harbour | Paulsgrove and Portchester | Cockles | C | Must be relaid for a long period or cooked before sale |
| Portsmouth Harbour | West Harbour | Hard clams | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | West Harbour | Native oysters | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
| Portsmouth Harbour | West Harbour | Pacific oysters | B-LT | Class B, long-term (designation being phased out from October 2026) |
Classes describe how shellfish must be treated before sale, based on E. coli monitoring by Portsmouth Port Health Authority. Classifications run 1 December to 30 November and can change during the year. No bed in either harbour is Class A. Source: Shellfish classification list and sampling plans ↗, Updated: 01 October 2026.
Official commitments on sewage and water quality, with their original decision, dated progress and funding where the record states it.
Committed by Southern Water Not verified
PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme
Reduce spills from the Pier Road, Southsea storm overflow with sustainable drainage and storage (WINEP action 08SO103210a).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made 5 March 2025 · due 30 June 2027 · PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) national dataset ↗
Committed by Southern Water Not verified
PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme
Reduce spills from the Gladys Avenue, Portsmouth storm overflow with storage, sustainable drainage preferred (WINEP action 08SO103263a).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made 5 March 2025 · due 30 June 2027 · PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) national dataset ↗
Committed by Southern Water Not verified
PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme
Reduce spills from the Henderson Road, Eastney storm overflow with sustainable drainage and storage (WINEP action 08SO103190a).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made 5 March 2025 · due 31 March 2035 · PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) national dataset ↗
Committed by Southern Water Not verified
PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme
Investigate the causes of poor water quality at the Southsea East bathing water (WINEP action 08SO101010a).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made 5 March 2025 · due 30 April 2027 · PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) national dataset ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council In progress
Southsea Coastal Scheme
Build new flood defences along 4.5 km of Southsea seafront, from Old Portsmouth to Eastney, in six frontages.
Status evidence, 19 October 2026: Southsea Coastal Scheme booklet, October 2026 ↗
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made October 2024 · due 2028 · £180,000,000 (The booklet gives the scheme cost as more than £180m; not a final outturn) · Southsea Coastal Scheme booklet, October 2026 ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council In progress
North Portsea Coastal Scheme
Complete phase 5, the final phase of the North Portsea Coastal Scheme, at Ports Creek and Hilsea Lines.
Status evidence, 23 October 2026: Our final chapter begins as most of last phase opens ↗
Made October 2024 · due 2027 · Corporate Plan 2024-2026 (Council Plan 2024) ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council Not verified
Corporate Plan 2024-2026
Continue to lobby and work with partners to improve air and water quality and city biodiversity.
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made October 2024 · due 2026 · Corporate Plan 2024-2026 (Council Plan 2024) ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council scrutiny panel In progress
Scrutiny review: sewage discharges into the sea
Review sewage discharges into the sea around Portsmouth, taking evidence from Southern Water, the Environment Agency, the University of Portsmouth, campaign groups and Cabinet members, and report recommendations.
Status evidence, 3 November 2026: Traffic, Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel, 3 November 2026: agenda ↗
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made 16 July 2026 · Traffic, Environment and Community Safety Scrutiny Panel, 16 July 2026: minutes ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council Not verified
Surface Water Management Plan
Reduce surface water flood risk in the fourteen hotspot areas identified in the Surface Water Management Plan (September 2025 update).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made September 2025 · Flood protection policies: Surface water flooding ↗
Committed by Hampshire County Council Not verified
Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Hampshire
Set priorities for nature recovery across Hampshire, including Portsmouth and Southampton, out to mean low water.
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made November 2025 · Local Nature Recovery Strategy for Hampshire 2025, Part 1 ↗
Committed by Portsmouth City Council In progress
Nutrient Neutral Mitigation Strategy
Require new homes to be nutrient neutral, so that wastewater from development does not add nitrates to the Solent, using mitigation credits under a section 111 agreement.
Status evidence, 10 November 2026: Nitrate mitigation strategy ↗
Funded by: not stated in the record.
Made June 2022 · Nitrate mitigation strategy ↗
Committed by Southern Water Not verified
PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme
Cut spills from the Budds Farm, Havant storm overflow (permit A00751) into Langstone Harbour to fewer than 10 a year, with sustainable drainage and storage, to protect shellfish waters (WINEP action 08SO103182a).
No dated evidence of progress has been found; stages are shown hatched.
Made 17 January 2025 · due 31 March 2030 · PR24 Water Industry National Environment Programme (WINEP) national dataset ↗
Suggestions, not decisions. None is costed.
Proposed by Facts Count
Spill monitors record how long an overflow discharged, not how much. Ask Southern Water and the Environment Agency, under the Environmental Information Regulations, for any flow or volume records they hold for each outfall around Portsmouth: dates, units, whether measured or modelled, how complete the data is, and which outfalls have no measurement at all.
Who: Anyone can ask; Facts Count has drafted a request (not yet sent). Gap it answers: Volume is not published for any outfall in these waters.
Proposed by Facts Count
When the scrutiny panel reports, each recommendation should name the body responsible, a baseline, a measurable target and a date for a written response, with a follow-up meeting to check progress. Campaigners asked for the same at the 5 October session.
Who: Portsmouth City Council scrutiny panel, Southern Water, Environment Agency Gap it answers: No recommendations, responses or follow-up dates have been published yet.
Proposed by Facts Count
Publish, for each bathing water, the overflows that discharge nearby and the season’s sample results together, labelled as an association, not proof of cause, so residents can see whether the schemes are making a difference where people swim.
Who: Facts Count will do this on this page as each season’s data is published. Gap it answers: Sample-by-sample matching is not yet built.
Proposed by Facts Count
Publish a dated, outfall-by-outfall record linking each Portsmouth storm overflow's spills to its regulated improvement deadline and progress.
Proposed lead: Southern Water (proposed) for delivery reporting, with Portsmouth City Council (proposed) hosting the joined-up local record
First step: The outfall table in this plan can be published now from public data.
Checked every week: new or revised annual spill returns, new monthly start and stop records, bathing water results in season, shellfish classifications, and new council papers on sewage. Changes go to a review queue; figures change on this page only after review.
Live status is not shown yet. A near-real-time overflow status feed exists (Southern Water’s Rivers and Seas Watch, and Water UK’s national hub), but its reuse terms and how it shows offline or stale monitors have not yet been tested, so live status is not shown here. Use the operator’s map for today’s status. Southern Water: Rivers and Seas Watch ↗ · Water UK: National Storm Overflow Hub ↗
Live advice is not cached here. Daily pollution-risk forecasts and any temporary advice change within hours. They are not cached here. Bathing water profile: Southsea East (live status and advice) ↗ · Environment Agency: find any bathing water and its live status ↗
Site register: 48 placed outfalls, 0 failing coordinate checks. Each placed outfall and each sampling point must lie in the Solent box and agree with its grid reference to within 3 km (a gross-error check, not a full datum transform). Outfalls are grouped by the receiving water named in the return. Harbour and Southsea outfalls outside the council boundary are context, and an outfall near a beach does not by itself show it polluted that beach.
Scope. An outfall is placed by the receiving water named in its latest return (and, for “The Solent”, by its outlet grid reference). Outfalls whose receiving water does not demonstrably drain to these waters are left out of the Portsmouth totals and listed for review.
Download: discharge figures (JSON) · bathing-water results (JSON) · outfalls by year (CSV).
