Legionella Found Again At Worthing Integrated Care Centre

Fresh traces of legionella bacteria have been discovered in parts of the Worthing Integrated Care Centre water system, just weeks before the building was due to be handed back to Worthing Borough Council by contractors.

The centre was originally scheduled to open in 2024 but has faced repeated delays because of ongoing water system issues, including previous detections of the bacteria.

The council had announced in March that the centre was free of legionella, but new traces were identified on May 28. A report due before the council’s joint strategic committee on June 9 describes the situation as recent, live and extremely disappointing. Further testing, specialist advice and contractor responses are now required before decisions can be made on the next steps.

The water system remains under the control of contractor Galliford Try, which took responsibility for resolving the issues in August 2025. Independent council testing identified the latest traces despite negative contractor test results. The project budget is now recommended to increase by £2.4 million to £48.9 million, up from an original budget of £34 million. The council continues to consider legal remedies to recover losses arising from delays and defects in the water system.