Campaigners slam 'absolutely shocking' sewage release stats
Southern Water insists it's 'complying with strict permits'
An environmental group claims sewage poured into the sea off Dorset, Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex for more than 14,000 hours last year.
Greenpeace is accusing water companies of treating the area 'as a toilet'.
Megan Corton Scott, Political Campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said: “These are the casualty figures from a war which nature is losing, badly.
"Private water companies treat our countryside as a toilet, and their vandalism doesn’t stop at some of our most sensitive conservation areas. Beloved lakes, beaches and rivers, rare wildlife habitats, sites of special scientific interest are being sacrificed so water company bosses and shareholders can continue to reap huge profits.
"The idea that the sewage industry could be shamed into doing the right thing has been tried and failed - nothing matters to them except profit. The only way to force them to clear up their mess is to make all of their dividends and bonuses dependent on actual results.
"Instead of long-term targets and empty threats, ministers should actually force the water companies to do the job we pay them for, starting now.”
Bianca Carr, co-founder of Clean Harbours Partnership set up to tackle pollution in Chichester and Langstone Harbours, said: “It’s absolutely horrifying.
"These areas are so important scientifically – we’ve got some of the most amazing creatures that live here.
“Environmentally it’s a huge issue that these creatures are swimming around in a cocktail of sewage,” she added.
Nick Mills, head of regional operator Southern Water’s clean rivers and seas taskforce, said: “We ensure our stormwater outfalls comply with strict permits and are located and managed appropriately.
“These stormwater outfalls are used when the system is overloaded with surface and groundwater, so homes, schools, hospitals, and communities are not flooded. Furthermore, such discharges are heavily diluted with rainwater.”
He added: “We are working extremely hard and investing heavily to reduce their use across our region.”