Swimmers can return to sea after raw sewage leak

After a power outage at the East Worthing Pumping station overnight on Tuesday, July 11, sewage was pumped out to sea – and swimmers were advised not to go in the water around Worthing and Lancing.

Now, a spokesman for Southern Water said: “The Environment Agency have today removed bathing water warning notices which advise against swimming, in the Worthing and Lancing area, and so the local authority will be removing the signs from the beaches.

“We used our technical computer modelling programme to track the flows that were released yesterday via our long-sea outfall and can confirm the local tidal pattern ensured it was sent further out to sea and has not come back towards the shore. We also thoroughly examined the coastline, including from Brooklands to Lancing Beach Green, to ensure there has been no impact to the beach and we are pleased to confirm there is no evidence of any sewage or sewage debris.

“Bathing water signs were put up across the region by the local authority – as it is standard to advise against bathing following heavy rainfall, such as the weather we experienced overnight on Tuesday 11 July.

“They are put up as a precautionary measure as extreme weather can impact on water quality from a variety of sources, including run-off from roads and agricultural land as well as the potential for emergency releases from all water companies, such as the one we had undertaken that night to protect homes.”