Swimmers call for action after section of Worthing beach 'named and shamed' with unwanted award

Worthing Beach House is among the ‘winners’ of the Brown Flag Awards – also known as ‘top of the plops’. UK travel site Holidayparkguru.co.uk analysed the Environment Agency’s official summertime water quality data at hundreds of beaches to reveal the ‘19 grubby winners’.

The Muscle Beach Swimmers Club is ‘shocked’ by the news that the water quality at Beach House in East Worthing is poor and amongst the worst in the country.

The East Worthing club comprises 24 people of all ages and who swim all year round, ‘around 500 metres’ from the water quality testing site in question.

"People in the group swim in the sea for various reasons, primarily physical and mental health, as the benefits of cold-water swimming are well documented,” a Mark Smith – a spokesperson for the swimming group – said.

"Swimming itself is great exercise and there is a social aspect to gathering together with friends and neighbours.

"There have been a couple of instances where members of our group have become ill, and whilst it can be hard to directly prove that this is due to the water quality, we believe that it is linked.

"The poor state of the sea is well documented, but this damming report further amplifies the need for immediate action. We acknowledge that one cause of pollution was identified at the Beach House site and rectified. But it was said by the local council to be ’one source’ implying that there are many.”

Two other water quality testing locations – known as ‘Worthing’ and ‘Goring Beach’ – both scored one star and so ‘narrowly missed out’ on winning Brown Flag Awards.

To receive the Brown Flag accolade ‘highlights the poor quality of the water we swim in’, the group said, adding that ‘more action needs to be taken’.

A spokesperson for Worthing Borough Council said: “We are disappointed by last year’s water quality classifications.

“Last year was the first time the Environment Agency gathered water quality data at Beach House and Goring Beach, which was a result of the fantastic efforts by residents to help obtain the two new bathing designations needed to test the water at these locations.

“The poor classification at Beach House has validated the much-needed designation and subsequent testing, but we don’t believe that the seawater at Beach House has dramatically worsened in recent years."

Mark Smith said the Muscle Beach Swimmers Club is aware of the long-standing issues around water quality in the UK and closely monitors sewage releases into the sea, ‘so that we can swim as safely as possible’.

He added: “We demand further action to ensure that the quality of the seawater matches many other parts of the Sussex coast which regularly receive good ratings.

“We call on the government to act on this, to work more closely with Worthing Borough Council and the Environment Agency and also to demand action from Southern Water to bring about change and to improve the water quality at this site.”

Southern Water said Worthing Beach House was designated as a new bathing water in 2024, and rated ‘poor’ in its first year for water quality.

A spokesperson added: “The Environment Agency has been clear that this was not related to storm overflows, but likely due to contamination in surface water drains.

“We are working closely with the local authority and other local partners to track down where private wastewater pipes may be illegally connected into these channels.

"We hope that through this action, we can come together to achieve a better water quality score for the coming years.”