Bathing 'Not Advised Today' For Several Sussex Beaches

Several beaches in Sussex have been marked as not suitable for bathing following yesterday's storms.

An interactive map, devised by campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), shows water quality around the whole of Great Britain, advising of recent sewage dumps or likely sewer overflow.

There was outrage by Sussex residents and a Lewes MP yesterday after a Twitter-user posted video of what he described as a raw sewage dump into the sea by a Seaford beach.

Southern Water responded, saying the heavy rain had triggered "surface water run-off". 

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: 

“Yesterday’s thunder storms brought heavy rain which fell onto parched ground and couldn’t absorb surface run-off, meaning that more rain than usual overwhelmed our network. This led to some overflows – which are used to protect homes, schools, businesses and hospitals from flooding – spilling excess water into the sea in parts of west Sussex, including Seaford. These discharges are heavily diluted and typically 95 per cent of them are rainwater.

Meanwhile, SAS have updated their water quality checker to show at least 12 beaches in Sussex that they deem unfair for bathers:

Littlehampton 

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
One sewer overflow discharges into the mouth of the River Arun while 2 more discharges 500m upstream of the Arun. There is a final sewer overflow some 2km to the east of the beach.

Bognor Regis (Aldwick)

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.

Bognor Regis East

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
The Aldingborne Rife crosses the beach at the eastern end of the bathing water where two sewage treatment works outfalls discharge.Additionally, there are 3 surface water outfalls (Norfolk Street, York Road and Albert Road) in the area which may reduce water quality particularly after heavy rainfall. There is also a sewer overflow that discharges into one of these surface water outfalls and two further sewer overflows that discharge into the Aldingbourne Rife.

Lancing, Beach Green

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
There are no sewer overflows discharging directly into the bathing water but there is one 200m east below the high tide line and several more discharging into the Teville Stream and the East Worthing sea-outfall two kilometres offshore.

Shoreham Beach

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.

Southwick

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Alerts for this beach will be triggered by any releases within the Shoreman to Newhaven area.

Saltdean

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Alerts for this beach will be triggered by any releases within the Shoreman to Newhaven area.

Seaford

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Two sewage overflows in the River Ouse, heavy rainfall could affect bathing water of the beach.

Birling Gap

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Sewer overflow north west of National Trust building, could make bathing water quality unsafe after severe rainfall.

Pevensey Bay

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
There are four sewer overflows in the river catchment which discharge when heavy rainfall overwhelms the sewerage system and causes diluted sewage to overflow.

Normans Bay

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
One sewage overflow located by private homes, heavy rain could affect bathing water.

Bexhill

Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
There are 15 sewer overflows in the Bexhill area. 5 discharge into the Egerton Park Stream, 140m west of the bathing area, a number discharge directly onto the beach while several more discharge onto the beach 2km either side of the bathing water.

Pollution alerts from Surfers Against Sewage

Check the water quality daily in your local area here: https://www.sas.org.uk/map/