AROUND 300 spills on the Isle of Wight have been prevented over the past two years, according to Southern Water.

This comes as part of its £1.5 billion Clean Rivers and Seas Plan, launched a year ago.

The company identified the Island as an ideal testing ground for its "innovative engineering and nature-based solutions".

A Southern Water spokesperson said: "They are designed to stop or slow rainfall entering our sewers and, when volumes are high, overloading our network of pipes, pumping stations and treatment sites."

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This hydraulic overload is what usually triggers storm overflows, which release flows into the environment to prevent flooding in homes and communities.

The spokesperson added: "On the Isle of Wight, our Clean Rivers and Seas task force has been busy assessing every area of our network — and taking action.

"This includes upgrading pumping stations to increase their capacity, installing thousands of water butts in customers’ gardens to capture rainfall, and partnering with key organisations, like the Isle of Wight Council, to work together on tackling the causes of storm overflows."

The work has already made a difference along the Island’s coastline, with the Appley Pumping Station in Ryde, a prime example.

This site was allowed to quadruple its storage and double its flow rate, thanks to close collaboration with the Environment Agency, preventing 88 spills between May and September this year.

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Keith Herbert, a regional pathfinder delivery lead for Southern Water, said: "We’re really pleased our work on the Island is really starting to bear fruit now, and that our range of interventions are making a real difference, with 300 spills prevented over two years."

However, he pointed out the challenges faced.

"We experienced the wettest 18 months on record since 1836, between October of 2022 and March this year, which resulted in flooding across the Island both years," he said.

Successful projects across the Island include replacing a storm overflow pipe in Wootton, optimising the Marsh Road pumping station in Cowes, and installing a tidal ingress protection flap in Yarmouth.