Worthing Beach Section Named Among UK’s Worst for Water Quality

A section of Worthing Beach has received a ‘poor’ water quality rating in a national report, prompting local authorities to increase efforts to tackle pollution.

Beach House, a newly designated bathing water area in Worthing, was among 19 beaches in England identified as having the lowest water quality in a report by Holidayparkguru.co.uk. The findings were based on Environment Agency data collected during the summer, with the Beach House section receiving a ‘poor’ classification. This has led to its inclusion in the satirical ‘Brown Flag Awards’, which aim to highlight areas where swimmers may be at risk due to water contamination.

Worthing Borough Council responded by acknowledging the disappointing classification, but emphasised that it does not believe water quality has significantly deteriorated in recent years. The council said the new bathing designation, secured through local campaigning, was crucial in enabling testing at Beach House and Goring Beach for the first time. Officials noted that testing has already identified and halted at least one pollution source as a result of the collaborative efforts with Southern Water and the Environment Agency.

Despite the poor rating, Beach House remains open, though warning signage is now required under the 2006 Bathing Water Directive. Worthing Borough Council said the additional data will help guide ongoing improvement work to raise seawater standards along the coast. Nearby beaches, including Worthing Central and Goring, received slightly higher classifications but also fell short of the highest ratings.