Southern Water’s annual Bathing Water Report addresses Defra classifications

We have published our annual Bathing Water Report, which sets out what we are doing to protect and enhance these precious coastal environments.

This publication responds directly to today’s government announcement of 2023’s bathing water classifications, which ranks 88% of our 84 designated bathing waters as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’.

Southern Water has a large part to play in improving and maintaining water quality, but there are lots of other factors that can impact it, such as agricultural, highways and industrial runoff, as well as the impact of animals and marine activity. That is why we work closely with a wide range of partners and experts to address issues when they arise.

We are already teaming up locally to investigate a small number of classification concerns. Our investigations have found limited correlation with storm overflows, and instead we are working hard to track and tackle privately owned wastewater pipes which have been illegally connected to surface water drains, as well as leaking sewers.

Bob Collington, Southern Water’s Managing Director for wastewater, said:

“Our coastal environment is a precious resource throughout the year. It brings us pleasure. It provides our livelihoods, and it sustains our communities. That’s why we take our impact on water quality extremely seriously.

“Cleaner seas do not come from resolving a single issue. Sometimes, we simply don’t know what’s impacting water quality in a particular location. But what we can do is provide a framework to investigate the source and work with our partners to put it right.”

In November, we launched our £1.5bn Clean Rivers and Seas Plan which sets out exactly how we propose to significantly reduce the number of storm overflows across our region