Swimmers are being told it’s safe to go into the sea again at Hove after a patch of brown water sparked fears of a sewage dump on Sunday.
Southern Water insists none of its outfall pipes discharged sewage, and the cause of the brown water is still being investigated. The company said that it was an algal bloom.
After testing water yesterday, Brighton and Hove City Council says the water is now clean enough to swim in.
A council spokesman said: “We have been in touch with the Environment Agency and are working with them to try and gain a better understanding of what caused this particular incident.
“Following an inspection yesterday morning we considered the water quality to be acceptable again.
“As always we would recommend that people swim between the red and yellow flags on the four stretches of beach where we have lifeguards.”
Swimmers were told to get out of the sea by lifeguards after the brown patch was discovered at about 3pm on Sunday afternoon by a patrol boat in the sea near the King Alfred Leisure Centre.
Although the beach itself wasn’t closed, lifeguards advised people not to go in the water and red flags were flying for the rest of Sunday and on Monday.
Swimmers who were in the sea on Sunday have reported having stomach cramps and sickness since.
The Environment Agency has been contacted for comment.
So it was probably algae bloom and so those claiming sickness were probably psychosomatic. At least it gave all the Southern Water haters a chance to vent their anger.
To be fair Peter, the bloom combined with salt water could have very well caused some nausea. Along with dehydration, heat stroke, excessive alcohol consumption. Plenty of reasons why, and I couldn’t tell you specifically with certainty, even if I assessed them personally.
Oh please , we all know they are dumping sewage all the time. It’s totally unacceptable
Comments that “sickness were probably psychosomatic” is an insult to the general publics intelligence. Sewage is regularly released in the our coastlines and as a cold water swimmer it’s a disgrace. Southern waters profits is also an obscenity and should be used in a responsible way to make the required improvements.