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Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

High Weald

Polluted by sewage 3,515 times in 2025 - lasting 24,521 hours - That's 2.84 years!

Monitoring fell below 50% in some locations so could be more

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Contains OS Data © Crown copyright & database right 2021-2024
© Top of the Poops 2021-2024

Totals for High Weald in 2025

127 Sites polluted by Southern Water Thames Water
3,515 sewage dumps
24,521 hours duration
That's 2.84 years. On average 9.6 times a day

How does High Weald compare?

High Weald was the #1 most polluted Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England & Wales, by duration of sewage overflows, as reported by the water companies

Why the change?

Storm overflows spill when it rains, and 2025 was drier than 2024 - 90% of average annual rainfall against 105%.

So much of any drop is weather, not fixed pipes. The live page shows rainfall and sewage side by side, day by day.

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Pollution Summary 2025

Here are all the reported sewage overflow totals for High Weald in 2025.

How we count, and how accurate it is

A CSO Combined Sewage Overflow - a device that, when operating, pours combined rainwater & sewage into a waterway counts towards High Weald when it sits inside the designated area, or within 200 metres of its boundary. An overflow close to two AONBs is counted in both.

We use data from the water companies, but we are seeing many anomalies that make us believe that location information is quite poor. The situation is likely far worse than reported here.

Other CSO Combined Sewage Overflow - a device that, when operating, pours combined rainwater & sewage into a waterway s just outside the 200 metre boundary are not counted, though they may still affect water quality inside the area.

Company Waterway Site Sewage Dumps Duration (Hours) Reporting %
Southern Water Shovelstrode Stream HAMMERWOOD ROAD ASHURST WOOD WPS 104 2,282 99.4
Southern Water River Dudwell BURWASH COMMON STW 99 1,301 94.7
Southern Water River Arun MANNINGS HEATH WWTW 76 1,251 100
Southern Water Hexden Channel HAWKHURST NORTH WWTW 76 1,130 97.4
Southern Water River Brede WESTFIELD WWTW 64 843 94.7
Southern Water River Rother IDEN WWTW 61 840 99.9
Southern Water Tide Brook WASHWELL LANE WWTW 60 677 100
Southern Water River Ouse DANEHILL S.T.W. 49 636 99.8
Southern Water River Grom TUNBRIDGE WELLS SOUTH WWTW 52 536 100
Southern Water Hexden Channel SANDHURST WWTW 50 523 97.6
Southern Water Kent Water COWDEN WWTW, COWDEN, TUNBRIDGE WELL 47 506 100
Southern Water Eridge Stream REDGATE MILL CROWBOROUGH WWTW 44 491 99.9
Southern Water Coombe Brook WEST HOATHLY S.T.W. 44 483 100
Southern Water Goddens Gill QUICKBOURNE LANE NORTHIAM WWTW 47 458 100
Southern Water River Medway HARTFIELD ROAD CSO 56 438 100
Southern Water River Ouse BALCOMBE WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS 33 416 100
Southern Water Tickerage Stream BLACKBOYS WWTW 48 397 99.2
Southern Water River Brede BATTLE WWTW 49 387 100
Southern Water River Medway PENSHURST WWTW 61 350 99.9
Southern Water Crane Brook CRANBROOK WWTW 43 346 100
Southern Water Pippingford Brook ST. JOHN'S, CROWBOROUGH WWTW 38 316 100
Southern Water River Medway HARTFIELD WWTW 30 312 100
Southern Water Freshwater River NO1 CSO STATION RD ROBERTSBRIDGE 71 304 100
Southern Water Abbey Petty Sewer ROBERTSBRIDGE WWTW 30 292 99.9
Southern Water River Ouse SCAYNES HILL WWTW 32 291 100
Southern Water River Teise FRANT S.T.W. 45 264 99.7
Southern Water Hawkhurst South Stream HAWKHURST SOUTH WWTW 41 258 100
Southern Water Bewl Water TINKERS LANE PS, TICEHURST 38 255 100
Southern Water River Line CANADIA CSO 40 253 99.8
Southern Water River Brede STUBBS LANE BREDE WWTW 29 250 99
Southern Water Freshwater River CHEQUERS PUMPING STATION 34 244 99.8
Southern Water River Rother MILL CORNER NORTHIAM WWTW 40 242 99.9
Southern Water River Medway FOREST ROW WWTW 20 232 97.1
Southern Water Newmill Channel TENTERDEN WWTW 27 217 99.9
Southern Water River Grom GROOMBRIDGE WWPS 21 199 100
Southern Water River Medway FIVE OAK GREEN ROAD TUDELEY CEO 36 190 99.6
Southern Water River Rother WITTERSHAM WWTW 34 187 99.9
Southern Water Eridge Stream TOWN ROW ROTHERFIELD NO 1 CSO 32 176 100
Southern Water River Medway WITHYPITTS TURNERS HILL CEO 29 176 99.4
Southern Water Knelle Petty Sewer BECKLEY WWTW 22 174 99.3
Southern Water Newmill Channel BENENDEN WWTW 21 167 99.9
Southern Water River Grom TUNBRIDGE WELLS SOUTH WWTW 50 167 100
Southern Water Freshwater River SEWER MAYNARDS GATE PUMPING STN 32 162 56.4
Southern Water Freshwater River HUGGETTS FARM PUMPING STATION 31 157 99.5
Southern Water Pannel Sewer GUESTLING GREEN WWTW 54 152 99.9
Southern Water Controlled Waters LITTLEBROOK WALDRON CEO 31 151 100
Southern Water Freshwater River TILSMORE P.S., HEATHFIELD 27 148 99.7
Southern Water River Tillingham STAPLECROSS WWTW, GATE FARM, STAPLE 20 130 100
Southern Water Coggins Mill Stream CROUCH FARM MAYFIELD WWTW 23 126 99.8
Southern Water Herons Ghyll OCKLYE CROWBOROUGH CSO 28 126 100
Southern Water Barden Mill Stream BIDBOROUGH WWTW 17 125 99.9
Southern Water River Ouse STAPLEFIELD WWTW 19 124 100
Southern Water River Pevensey CATSFIELD WWTW 33 122 96.5
Southern Water River Rother MERES FARM MAYFIELD WWTW 30 122 100
Southern Water Lywood Stream ARDINGLY WWTW 17 122 98.1
Southern Water River Teise FURNACE POND CEO 15 117 100
Southern Water Newmill Channel TENTERDEN WWTW 37 116 99.9
Southern Water Pippingford Brook NUTLEY WWTW 18 110 100
Southern Water River Rother PEASMARSH WPS 23 110 99.3
Southern Water Marsham Sewer FAIRLIGHT WWTW 19 104 99.5
Southern Water Hexden Channel ROLVENDEN LAYNE WWTW 10 102 97.7
Southern Water Freshwater River CSO PELLINGS WOOD 29 100 100
Southern Water River Medway FORDCOMBE WASTEWATER TREATMENT WRKS 21 98 97.7
Thames Water Gatwick Stream Pease Pottage 12 98 91.7
Southern Water Hawkhurst South Stream COCKSHOT FARM CSO, HAWKHURST, KENT 23 95 100
Southern Water River Brede FERRY HILL WINCHELSEA WWTW 12 95 100
Southern Water Freshwater River EWHURST LANE PUMPING STATION 17 92 100
Southern Water Crane Brook CRANBROOK WWTW 40 92 100
Southern Water River Medway SOUTHBOROUGH CEMETERY TUNBRIDGE 37 88 96.3
Southern Water River Teise UNDERHILL GOUDHURST WWTW 13 85 97.6
Southern Water Freshwater River CROWHURST CEO 37 85 99.9
Southern Water River Rother STONE GREEN STONE IN OXNEY WWTW 71 83 100
Southern Water Freshwater River BEST BEECH HILL CEO 15 80 100
Southern Water Royal Military Canal ICKLESHAM WWTW 14 79 99.4
Southern Water Cockhaise Brook HORSTED KEYNES WWTW 11 78 99.9
Southern Water River Teise WHITEGATES LANE WADHURST WWTW 22 70 99
Southern Water Eridge Stream TOWN ROW ROTHERFIELD NO 2 CSO 19 70 88.7
Southern Water River Tillingham WISH STREET RYE CEO 77 66 100
Southern Water River Teise BROADFORD CEO 10 57 100
Southern Water Freshwater River NURSERY LANE PUMPING STATION 23 56 100
Southern Water River Teise JONAS LANE WADHURST CEO 16 55 100
Southern Water Sunnyside Stream LUXFORD LN-EAST GRINSTEAD WWTW 15 55 99.8
Southern Water River Ouse BALCOMBE WASTEWATER TREATMENT WORKS 7 54 94.5
Southern Water Freshwater River GIBBETTS MARSH PS 22 54 100
Southern Water Shortbridge Stream FAIRWARP PUMPING STATION 10 53 99.8
Southern Water Robertsbridge Petty Sewer NORTHBRIDGE ST ROBERTSBRIDGE CSO 14 52 99.6
Southern Water Nunningham Stream GARDNER STREET SEWAGE WORKS 8 50 99.9
Southern Water Freshwater River HORSMONDEN ROAD PUMPING STATION 12 50 99.9
Southern Water Hexden Channel CASTLE TERRACE CSO (HAWKHURST) 14 39 100
Southern Water Chalybeate Spring KILNDOWN S.T.W. 9 38 99.9
Southern Water River Medway CSO AT STATION ROAD - FOREST ROW 14 38 48.6
Southern Water River Rother HURST GREEN WWTW 6 37 99.6
Southern Water Barden Mill Stream HOLDEN CORNER TUNBRIDGE WELLS CSO 37 37 100
Southern Water Warbleton Stream PUNNETTS TOWN WPS 12 35 100
Southern Water River Rother BURWASH VILLAGE WWTW 8 35 100
Southern Water Freshwater River RYE ROAD 4 33 100
Southern Water Cockhaise Brook WEST HOATHLY CEO 10 28 99.4
Southern Water Barden Stream WATERFRETS LANGTON GREEN CSO 19 27 99.9
Southern Water Balcombe Lake ST JAMES COTTAGE BALCOMBE CSO 240 25 88.4
Southern Water River Rother STREET END LANE BROAD OAK CEO 13 21 96.9
Southern Water Forge Stream EBDENS HILL HASTINGS CEO 13 21 99.9
Southern Water Freshwater River BRIDGEWAYS 6 20 99.7
Southern Water River Brede WESTFIELD WWTW 11 19 94.7
Southern Water River Tillingham WINCHELSEA ROAD RYE B CEO 7 18 100
Southern Water Unnamed Powdermill Stream ASTEN FIELDS PUMPING STATION 7 17 97.3
Southern Water River Rother BRICKWALL SEWAGE PUMPING STATION 4 14 100
Southern Water Nunningham Stream WINDMILL HILL HERSTMONCEUX WWTW 3 14 100
Southern Water Freshwater River COUSLEY WOOD CEO 7 12 100
Southern Water Clippingham Stream RUSHLAKE GREEN WWTW 1 9 100
Southern Water Marsham Sewer WAITES LANE CSO 10 8 99.9
Southern Water Marsham Sewer LOWER WAITES LANE FAIRLIGHT CSO 10 7 100
Southern Water Lywood Stream River Ouse ARDINGLY WWTW, ARDINGLY 3 5 98.1
Southern Water English Channel ROCK-A-NORE CEO 2 5 100
Southern Water Shovelstrode Stream GLEAVE CLOSE EAST GRINSTEAD CEO 1 4 100
Southern Water Freshwater River ROCK LANE PUMPING STATION 4 4 100
Southern Water Tudely Brook PEMBURY WWTW 1 3 100
Southern Water Jarvis Brook ALDERBROOK WAY CSO 3 2 100
Southern Water River Ouze SCHOOL LANE DANEHILL CSO 2 2 59.3
Southern Water River Limden ST MARYS LANE TICEHURST CSO 3 2 60.9
Southern Water River Teise SMITHS LANE(GOUDHURST)WWTW, SMITHS 3 2 100
Southern Water Barden Mill Stream LANGHOLM ROAD LANGTON GREEN CSO 4 2 99.6
Southern Water Freshwater River THREE CUPS SEWAGE P.S. 1 2 99.4
Southern Water Freshwater River PETT (GLEBE COTTAGES) WWPS 1 2 99.9
Southern Water Sailors Stream MILL LANE HASTINGS CSO 2 2 56.5
Southern Water Jarvis Brook ALDERBROOK WAY CSO 3 1 100
Southern Water Unnamed Drain To River Medway PENNINGTON ROAD CEO 2 1 100
Southern Water Reading Sewer READING STREET W.W.T.W 1 0 99.9

Data Sources & Accuracy

EDM (Event Duration Monitoring) data and Consented Discharges to Controlled Waters with Conditions from Environment Agency & Data Map Wales, and Scottish Water

Experimental derived data from Thames Water API, Some data may be missing or inaccurate. Live sewage data from Stream Water API

Annual figures up to and including 2025 come from official water company returns. The 2026 figure is our own estimate, derived continuously from the companies' live data feeds.

Uses Environment Agency rainfall data from the real-time data API (Beta) - Rainfall data is delayed by up to two days.

This website is intended to provide an accurate representation of the Environment Agency data. The data is hard to use, and thus some errors may have been made. If you find something that is incorrect, please raise an issue at the GitHub issues page and we'll endeavour to fix it quickly.

This project is not associated, approved or endorsed by any of the companies whose logos you see here.