Southern Water and Medway Council have entered into a formal partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at tackling the growing challenges of flooding and storm overflows in this area of Kent.
Director for Environment and Innovation at Southern Water, Dr Nick Mills, said:
"We’re delighted to be working closely with Medway Council on shared goals to improve the environment. By working together, we can deliver smarter, greener infrastructure that benefits both the community and the environment."
The partnership will focus on delivering green innovative, sustainable solutions — including the development of Highway Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) — to reduce pressure on existing drainage infrastructure and improve climate resilience.
As part of the MoU, Southern Water and Medway Council will work to create and explore new opportunities for Highway SuDS across the Medway Towns. Collaborative investigations have already started in Parkwood, with potential SuDS opportunities identified.
Cllr Simon Curry, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Climate Change and Strategic Regeneration, commented:
“This agreement marks a significant milestone in our commitment to tackling flood risk across Medway. Joining forces with Southern Water will allow us to work in partnership and continue to invest in long-term, sustainable solutions that will help protect our communities and infrastructure from the growing impacts of climate change.”
This latest partnership complements Southern Water’s wider efforts to reduce storm overflows through its £1.5 billion Clean Rivers and Seas Plan, which aims to cut spills by 8,000 a year by 2035. More information about the plan is available at: southernwater.co.uk/clean-rivers-and-seas-plan. [southernwater.co.uk]
This is the second MoU that Southern Water has signed with local authorities in Kent; it has also entered into one with Kent County Council.
Work is already underway in several Kent towns to reduce storm overflows, including:
- Whitstable
- Herne Bay
- Sittingbourne
- Faversham
- Queenborough
These initiatives include nature-based solutions designed to slow the flow of rainwater and reduce pressure on combined sewers.
Naushabah Khan, MP for Gillingham and Rainham in Kent, which are part of the Medway unitary authority, said:
“It is a significant and positive step that Southern Water and Medway Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding, demonstrating a strong public commitment to combating flooding for local residents in Gillingham and Rainham.
“We do have a need for wider installation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS), as I have suggested Parkwood as a potential site. We have a duty to ensure that homes aren’t vulnerable to flooding pressures and that we have the correct preventative mechanisms in place to tackle this issue head-on.”
WaterBriefing is supporting the upcoming Floodex & National Drainage Show which takes place in London on 26 – 27 November 2025 in London. Now in its tenth year, Floodex will run alongside the National Civils Show, opening the event up to whole new audience of thousands of interested civil engineers, contractors, developers and planners, involved in construction, utilities, highways, railway and coastal defence professionals.
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