Havant Borough Council promises to take water companies to task over sewage dumping in Chichester Harbour
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The motion was raised by Councillor Philip Munday (Lab) while members were discussing the installation of electronic signage at Beachlands, Hayling Island, to provide up to date water quality warnings for visitors and swimmers.
As custodian for 37 miles of coastline in the borough, the council has declared that the discharge of untreated or partially treated waste water into borough bathing waters is ‘completely unacceptable’. Councillors have promised to continue to put more pressure on Southern Water for clarity on the proposed improvements.
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Hide AdCllr Alex Rennie (Con) the leader of the council, has written an open letter to Southern Water requesting a daily water quality prediction system, and supporting calls for more electronic signage on bathing beaches, matching the current system in Scotland.
The council itself is also developing proposals to make existing water quality testing data easier to access, including an assessment of the cost of including electronic signage on the beach front containing all the latest updates.
On top of this, the council has also committed to a 20 week programme of testing in Langstone Harbour, in connection with Portsmouth City Council. It will commence immediately and it is expected to run throughout the rest of the bathing season and beyond. The recently formed Hayling Island Beach Management Group is another Havant Borough Council initiative, and has been tasked with delivering a number of interventions designed to improve the beach front.
"We have a strong moral obligation to care for our cherished coastal landscape which our residents actively enjoy and use. With that in mind, we are utterly committed to exploring new ways of engaging with residents and visitors about our coastline and providing information in the most practical way for them to safely use the beach. Hayling Island is the home of windsurfing, and its famed Blue Flag beach has been a family favourite for generations - Havant Borough Council will do its utmost to care for those who enjoy our waters, and address issues that unduly impact upon them.”