Beccy Cooper, MP for Worthing West, is seeking an “urgent meeting” with Southern Water due to “continuing failures” regarding water contamination.
Worthing Beach House, a bathing water site located near Splashpoint Leisure Centre, was designated poor by the Environment Agency last year, meaning swimming is not advised.
Ms Cooper has described the water quality as “extremely poor” and said she has “deep concerns”.
Her statement said: “I know that Worthing Borough Council have worked hard to achieve bathing water status by recruiting volunteer ‘citizen scientists’ to monitor pollution levels at this and other sites, only to find that the water off Beach House in particular is of such a poor quality that the public are advised not to swim in it.
Worthing West MP Beccy Cooper (Image: Supplied) “I am very alarmed that repeated pollution incidents will continue to impact public health and our coastal environment as we move into the busy bathing season and would like to seek reassurance that Southern Water is doing everything in its power to prevent this – as has clearly not been the case up to now.
“On behalf of my constituents therefore, can you please inform me of the causes of this recent decline in water quality and give me details of immediate and long-term measures being taken to prevent further pollution events.
“I would also like to see detailed information on your work with the council and Environment Agency to monitor and respond to water quality issues.
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“Furthermore, I would like to see improved transparency on this from Southern Water, with more open and regular communication with the public, especially during the summer season.
“Finally, I would like to request a formal written response on the issue and to suggest that as a matter of urgency we meet to discuss this and other matters further.”
A spokesman for Southern Water said: “We’re pleased that Dr Cooper shares our concern for bathing water quality and we have been in contact to arrange a meeting to discuss how bathing water quality can be improved.
“There are many causes of contamination in bathing water – agricultural and road runoff, wildlife and human behaviour on the beach to name a few.
“On the official government website, it has been noted by the Environment Agency that at Worthing Beach House the likely main source of contamination is ‘urban diffuse pollution entering through the surface water system’.
“This means the work of our misconnections team, which tracks down loos and washing machines wrongly connected to surface water drains instead of our sewer system, is vital to continue to improve bathing water quality.
“We are also investing in sewer investigations and rehabilitation where needed.”