Residents test seawater for E. coli in Hastings and St Leonards

The Hastings & St Leonards Clean Water Action Group (CWAG) says official bathing water quality information cannot be trusted - and swimmers, surfers, paddlers, fish and other marine life are all at risk from polluted seas.

It hopes to raise enough money to pay for year-round, independent, weekly tests to monitor E. coli and faecal bacteria levels at beaches in the Hastings area. It says: “With unchecked sewage spills from Southern Water occurring year-round and the Environment Agency only testing during the summer months, CWAG’s independent testing could provide vital evidence in the campaign to end sewage pollution.”

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Amanda Jobson, who set up the Crowdfunder campaign, said: “We know Southern Water don’t test the seawater in the winter months and they don’t inform you when individual spills incur, only the total number of spills over the year, which does not give residents accurate daily data.”

Each Citizen Scientist test kit costs £25, and the group has so far raised more than £1,800. Amanda and two other CWAG members carried out their first test at the beach near Azur in St Leonards - the most popular bathing spot in the Hastings area - on February 14 and are awaiting the results of the test.

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The group says more and more people are bathing in the sea year-round, and their campaign has received a lot of interest and support from local residents concerned about the ongoing pollution. “One gentleman shared his frustration that his grandchildren couldn’t take a dip in the sea during their visit last July, when Southern Water’s sewage pipes burst at Bulverhythe causing weeks of pollution and beach closures,” they said. “It’s our children’s future and something must be done now!”

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CWAG are not alone in taking action, and intend to share and compare their data with water quality campaigners in other areas across the UK. One of them is the Oxfordshire-based Windrush Against Sewage Pollution (WASP), which is fighting back against pollution at the Windrush River - a tributary of the River Thames.

Professor Peter Hammond, who is collating river pollution data there, recently talked to CWAG members via a ZOOM meeting hosted by Hastings Green Party. He told them: “The evidence suggests that there are many more spills than reported by the general public and water companies.”

The Crowdfunder ends on March 4, and they hope to raise £2,500, which would enable them to extend testing in Hastings and St Leonards throughout the whole year, and offer outdoor classroom events to raise awareness about sewage pollution.

People can donate by CLICKING HERE

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