Suspected sewage was spewing onto the streets through a manhole cover after torrential rain last night.

A drain in New Road, Newhaven, pumped thousands of litres of water onto the tarmac on Thursday (September 21) as the sewer network became overwhelmed.

The Argus understands the manhole cover is a “pressure point” fed by three sewers which can cause water to surge to the surface during heavy rain.

 

The manhole cover is also shallow, meaning it is prone to becoming overwhelmed.

READ MORE: Newhaven: Residents angry at poor drainage after heavy rain

Southern Water confirmed it was responsible for the manhole cover but has been unable to say if the liquid was sewage. A spokesman said the company is investigating.

The Argus: Sandbags lined to prevent water seeping into homesSandbags lined to prevent water seeping into homes (Image: Submitted)

It comes after Southern Water faced similar problems in the area just hours before, with people in Newhaven reporting on Wednesday that sewage was bubbling up into their bathrooms, seeping into their homes from outside and flooding their gardens due to heavy rain.

Southern Water apologised and said it has engineers investigating the problem.