South East Swimming Locations Receive Poor Water Quality Ratings

The Environment Agency (EA) has reported that several swimming locations in the South East region have been assessed with poor water quality. Out of 37 sites nationwide in England that did not satisfy water quality standards, five were identified within Kent and West Sussex. The specific locations named on this list include Deal Castle, Dymchurch, and Littlestone in Kent, alongside Worthing Beach House and Aldwick Beach in West Sussex. These locations underwent testing for harmful bacteria by the EA during the designated swimming season, which runs from May through September. Notably, Worthing Beach House was included on the EA’s roster of sites for monitoring only this year. The current year’s findings encompass data from the period 2021 to 2024. Measurements of harmful bacteria are utilized to assign an annual classification to each site, categorizing them as excellent, good, sufficient, or poor. Across England, approximately one in twelve of the country’s officially recognized swimming areas, spanning coasts, lakes, and rivers, did not meet the required water quality standards. The evaluation revealed that 37 sites, representing 8.2% of the overall total, received a poor rating for water quality in 2024. This figure is almost twice the 2023 total of 4.3% and marks the highest percentage since the current rating methodology was implemented in 2015. Heather Robins, a cold water swimmer affiliated with the Bluetits Swimming Group in Aldwick, situated near Bognor Regis, stated that the beach’s classification is detrimental to the local economy. She commented: “Our economy is based on tourism so it impacts the lovely pubs, all the beach huts. All the businesses on that part of the beach are being avoided by the tourists all summer because that part of the beach is considered dangerous.” Ms Robins further noted that accessing the water has been challenging this year, attributing this difficulty to sewage. She remarked: “Certainly for swimmers, we just don’t go in at all if it has rained in the last 48 hours and this year, that’s been nearly all year. It’s been a very wet year.” Locations that receive a poor rating undergo investigation to pinpoint pollution sources, and subsequent action plans are initiated with the aim of ameliorating the conditions. According to the existing framework, a bathing location that consistently receives a poor rating for five consecutive years—such as Tynemouth Cullercoats beach in North Shields—is automatically de-designated. However, a consultation is currently underway to evaluate potential modifications to this procedure.