Tourists have been given the red light on swimming and told to avoid the water off Kent beaches as it could put swimmers' health at risk.
The Environment Agency has issued stern 'do not swim' warnings as exceptionally high levels of a bacterium, signalling human waste, have been found in the waters around Littlestone and St Mary's Bay on the Romney Marsh in Kent. Sewage in the water can cause illness or infections.
Dismissing any responsibility for the concern, Southern Water states it isn't at fault, whereas the local council leader has hinted that the outlet discharges by the company in Hythe, just under seven miles away, cannot be ignored. Over the last 15 months, warnings have persisted, urging beach-goers to refrain from swimming in St Mary's Bay. Similar cautionary advice was delivered this January for Littlestone when pollution was detected there too.
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The warning notices will continue throughout the year, and the troubling truth is that the Environment Agency now admits they cannot predict when the restrictions will be lifted. Notably, at a heated town hall meeting at New Romney's Assembly Rooms, about 100 frustrated locals and traders gathered to discuss the ongoing impact of the issue.
Speaking out during the heated exchange, Gemma Bellamy, who co-manages The Foiling Collective a water sports school and store at Littlestone beach revealed that her business has been driven into a state of "turmoil". She recounted: "We were expected to start the season in April and we were unable to open."
"Morally we have taken the decision not to open the school. We also would not be covered by the insurance company. We are making no money and the do-not-swim warning has thrown us into turmoil."
The 41 year old says she and the firm's two other owners are now being forced to look at other locations to "keep the business alive". She added: "Nothing is going to happen in the next 12 months to change anything. It sounds like the situation is more likely to improve in the latter part of this decade. Unfortunately for Littlestone, we will be taking tourism away from the area I don't know where the business will be in a year's time - everything is so up in the air."
Littlestone and St Mary's Bay are the only beaches in Kent where people are advised not to swim in the sea because the water quality is rated 'poor'. Tests have uncovered heightened traces of the bacterium intestinal enterococci, which is found in human poo and can cause diarrhoea and sickness. Fingers have been pointed at Southern Water – which also had a representative at the meeting – but the firm says the issue is not associated with its storm overflows.
The EA says there is "no single cause" and that it has identified a number of sources, including dog and bird faeces and people misconnecting toilets and showers. It says it is also investigating sewers, leaking cesspits and septic tanks. Jim Martin, the leader of Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC), insists Southern Water outfall releases in Hythe are a key factor.
In his address at Wednesday's meeting, he exclaimed: "I find it difficult to understand why those litres are not affecting the bathing quality water in the bay next door. I'm not a scientist, but this must be having an impact."
In other related news, the swimming quality of Dymchurch beach has dropped from 'good' to merely 'satisfactory'. Dave Jacobs, a member of the Dymchurch Dippers a swimming group of over 180 individuals that brave the sea all year round worries that the water quality continues on a downward spiral.
He expressed: "We have had the Dymchurch Dipper swimming group for around two years now. The impact the declining water quality in Dymchurch has had on our group is significant. We can't swim as much as we wanted to and there is the potential for people to get sick, which might be putting members off going in the sea. I'm yet to be assured that the water quality in Dymchurch will improve and I do fear that the water quality will go down to poor in the future."
Beaches like St Mary's Bay, Littlestone and Dymchurch lure holidaymakers, who commonly lodge at resorts dotting the Marsh coastline during the summer period. Similarly, local businesses, such as quaint cafes, heavily bank on high season trade. Southern Water honchos have piped up, claiming they're on the case with a "wide range of different work to help improve water quality including relining sewers" and tackling "resolving and investigating illegal misconnections".
New Romney's own town councillor, Paul Thomas, has stepped up to the plate, confirming that the local authority isn't just sitting on its hands it's rolling out its own water testing to keep the townsfolk and tourists clued up on the pollution levels in their bathing spots.
He explained: "The agencies for the first time have communicated with the council and residents and hopefully are now going the right way about it. The town council is going to do our own water testing and give these out to residents and visitors. This will allow people to understand the water quality levels on a regular basis. They have not closed the beaches. It is an advisory not to swim and our results can help give people the right advice."
With these updates, beach lovers will get the lowdown on the water vibes, helping them decide if it's safe to take the plunge or not. Tom Gallagher, Southern Water's bigwig for open water improvement, chimed in: "We are working hard with partners, including the Environment Agency and Folkestone and Hythe District Council, to improve water quality in St Mary's Bay and in all the surrounding areas."
"The reasons behind the sample results are complex, and none of the samples collected by the Environment Agency in 2023 were likely to have been affected by our overflows. However, we know we have a key role to play and St Mary's Bay, Littlestone, Dymchurch and Folkestone are key locations in our improvement plans."
"We're doing a wide range of different work in the area to help improve water quality, including relining sewers and resolving and investigating illegal misconnections and connecting private cess pits to our network. This meeting was important for residents and stakeholders who are understandably concerned about bathing water quality and want to see improvements, and we welcomed the opportunity to answer questions, speak about the work we're doing and the complexities of this issue."
While no specific date has been set for when the restrictions will be lifted, the EA has committed to ongoing efforts to "find solutions". A spokesperson commented: "We welcomed the chance to speak to a wider group of residents this week to answer questions and gather further intelligence to assist our investigations. We have identified that pollution at St Mary's Bay, Littlestone and Dymchurch comes from a number of different sources."
"Our investigations have included extensive collaborative work with Southern Water and Folkestone & Hythe District Council, and we will continue to work with partners to find the solutions to improve the water quality along this stretch of coastline. At the meeting we outlined ways in which the public can also help to minimise pollution sources and we look forward to working with residents to continue to improve water quality in the area."
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