Eastbourne politicians speak out over water quality downgrade

Water samples are taken on a weekly basis between May-September each year under the Bathing Water Directive through the Environment Agency (EA). In each sample the EA tests for bacteria that indicates whether there is faecal matter in the water, called faecal indicator organisms (FIOs). Most of the results throughout the year showed low levels of bacteria like other years, so a high water standard. However, overall for 2022 the overall rating for Eastbourne was ‘sufficient’, which is a drop from the ‘good’ rating from 2018-2021. ‘Sufficient’ means the water meets the minimum standard according to the EA.

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Dr Toby Willison, Southern Water’s (SW) director of quality and environment, said: “There are many factors which affect water quality and we’ve seen a steep rise in beach users since lockdown which places additional pressure on quality.”

A SW spokesperson said the company has invested more than £32 million on improving bathing waters in the past five years including major programmes in Sussex.

Dr Willison said: “We have an important role to play but there are a diverse range of pollutions which can impact water quality – contaminated rainwater running off roads and agricultural land, wastewater from privately owned treatment works, boats and animals on the beach such as dogs and seabirds all play a part. That’s why it is so important for all parties to work together.”

Lib Dem parliamentary candidate Josh Babarinde wants the government to tighten up regulations on water companies to improve water quality. He wants SW to be held to account and a ‘sewage tax’ on water companies.

In October 2022 MP Caroline Ansell said people were being ‘wrongly scared off’ our beaches due to sewage dumping concerns.

Cllr Babarinde said: “I’m fed up of Southern Water dumping all over Eastbourne.”

He added that he believed it was damaging to Eastbourne’s brand as a tourist town ‘that so many in Eastbourne are working hard to uphold’.

He said: “These water companies need to get their act together - and so does this government. They must ban bonuses for polluting sewage fat-cats and impose a sewage tax on water company profits to get a grip of this issue now.”

MP Caroline Ansell said she was ‘very disappointed’ by the ‘unexpected downgrade in water quality’.

She said: “The Environment Agency assured me Eastbourne bathing water was now a top priority investigation area. Additional monitoring at locations such as the nearby surface water outfall is now going to happen too.”

Mrs Ansell flagged the work of the Blue Heart project, a fund for local groups wanting to tackle climate change including water quality.

She said she felt that Cllr Babarinde was not acknowledging work being done locally to enhance water quality and his comments were damaging Eastbourne’s reputation.

Mrs Ansell said: “Our water quality is of paramount importance to locals and visitors alike and we will settle for nothing less than excellent.”

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