Rainfall vs. storm overflow releases
At the beginning of the 2023 bathing season, groundwater levels were exceptionally high. This increased the impact of each rainfall event and led to a greater spill count.
Bathing water results
Our region includes more than 700 miles of coastline which plays an important part in the local economy. We’re committed to protecting these coastal waters to make sure they are of the highest quality.
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An overview of the report
We now have 100% of Event Duration Monitors (EDMs) installed on our storm overflows, which tell us how often a release occurs. We then share this data with the Environment Agency and with customers via our Beachbuoy tool.
In 2023, we reported a total of 829 storm overflow releases. This was an increase from the previous year, however, there was a significant increase in rainfall in 2023 which is a major factor in storm releases.
We're working hard to improve bathing water quality. This includes making repairs on our network, resolving misconnections on customer pipes and developing improvement plans.
Rainfall vs. storm overflow releases
At the beginning of the 2023 bathing season, groundwater levels were exceptionally high. This increased the impact of each rainfall event and led to a greater spill count.
Annual bathing water quality results from Southern Water
The quality of the UK’s bathing waters is monitored by Defra and the Environment Agency. These are the current statuses for bathing water at beaches across the South East.
- 48 are rated ‘Excellent’
- 26 are rated ‘Good’
- Six are rated ‘Sufficient’
- Four are rated ‘Poor’
Below is a further breakdown by county.
The Environment Agency – weekly water quality results and beach profiles
Our region has 84 designated bathing waters. Click on the county below and select the name of the bathing water to view the Environment Agency’s weekly bathing water quality results, along with links to their beach profiles.*
* The data shown in the drop-downs below is sourced directly from the Environment Agency's website.
Arun
Adur
Worthing
Chichester
The City of Brighton and Hove
Rother
Hastings
Wealden
Eastbourne
Lewes
Thanet
Dover
Folkestone and Hythe
Swale
Canterbury
City of Portsmouth
Fareham
Havant
New Forest
Beachbuoy – near-real-time water quality updates
The 700 miles of coastline in our region are the lifeblood of many of the communities we serve – whether through tourism, business or leisure.
Over recent years, we have invested millions of pounds to improve the quality of the bathing waters in our region.
You can also use our Beachbuoy tool to find out more information about storm overflow releases. This interactive map provides near-real-time data about release activity in our designated bathing waters.
