Dangerous bacteria found in lake at West Sussex beauty spot - 'Keep dogs out of the water'

Arun District Council has temporarily closed the Mewsbrook Park lake in Littlehampton.

“Unfortunately, we have been recording consistently high levels of E.coli and Enterococci at the lake,” a council statement on social media read.

"The results mean that recreational activity on the lake cannot take place. The relevant users have been advised.

“We are working to determine the source of these high levels of bacteria, but it is very likely something outside of our control.

“Please keep dogs out of the water.”

This update, posted on Wednesday afternoon (July 24), came after the council said earlier this week that the lake ‘cannot be used for boating’ until further notice ‘due to poor water quality’.

Dogs should be kept on a lead if taken near the lake, the council said.

What is E.coli and Enterococci?

Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Intestinal Enterococci (IE) are two types of bacteria found in human and animal poo and, if ingested, cause severe tummy upsets (southwestwater.co.uk/).

An explainer on this website reads: “Concentrations of these bacteria are used to classify a bathing water. Their presence indicates that there is faecal matter in the water, whether human or animal, and the higher their levels, the greater the risk is to bathers’ health. The bathing water classifications are based on the analysis of samples taken over a four-year period.

“The bacteria can find themselves in the water for different reasons: sewage spills; road drainage; run off from areas that host agricultural livestock; and from wildlife and birds that live in and around the water.”