Water quality at Southsea Beach expected to remain “poor” in 2025 as suspected source of pollution is revealed
The water quality at Southsea East Beach is expected to remain classified as “poor” in 2025, with private sewers now suspected to be the main source of pollution.
Earlier this year, beachgoers were warned against swimming along the Southsea seafront after the Environment Agency (EA) designated the area’s water quality as “poor.” Despite investigations, the main source of contamination remains a mystery.
A recent Portsmouth City Council meeting heard that Southern Water’s sewage network and combined sewer overflows are unlikely sources, following extensive repairs and inspections over the past 18 months.
Speaking at a cabinet decision meeting, Richard Lee, the council’s assistant director of culture, leisure and regulatory services, stated: “I will put my neck on the line here by looking at the results for this season, which ended in October, my prediction is that it will be poor [in 2025].”
He added: “All that evidence is suggesting there is an improvement between 2023 and 2024 but we did have some high results at the end of the season.”
The council’s report noted that while weekly water sampling has shown some improvement in 2024, the overall classification for 2025 will likely remain “poor” as it needs to be assessed against previous years.
Mr Lee explained that the council is shifting its focus to private water supplies, stressing that businesses and homes are responsible for their own sewage systems. He said the council plans to survey seafront businesses to identify issues and discuss solutions.
He also expressed optimism about future improvements, stating that the EA could potentially reclassify the water quality based solely on 2025 results if all contamination sources are identified and resolved. He added that this could lead to an upgrade from “poor” to “good” or even “excellent.”
Councillor Lee Hunt emphasised that the responsibility for improving water quality ultimately rests with the EA, though the council continues to apply pressure and engage with businesses to address the problem.
The water quality at Southsea East has gradually declined and at the end of the 2022 bathing water season this beach was given a 'sufficient' classification, before being given its current ‘poor’ grading.
The Environment Agency has been approached for comment.