Home   Folkestone   News   Article

No-swim warning issued at Sandgate after sewage leaks onto beach

A no-swim warning has been issued after a sewage pipe started leaking onto a beach.

The advice at Sandgate, between Folkestone and Hythe, is expected to remain in place until at least tomorrow, as testing and investigations take place.

A leak from a storm drain at Sandgate Bay has led to a no-swim warning. Picture: FHDC
A leak from a storm drain at Sandgate Bay has led to a no-swim warning. Picture: FHDC

Pictures show brown liquid seeping from a storm drain off the promenade.

Southern Water, which is responsible for the pipe, has been on site and reports the leak stems from a nearby sewer.

It says it is “confident” the wastewater has not entered the sea and affected its quality.

In a statement yesterday, Cllr Tim Prater (Lib Dem), who represents Sandgate and West Folkestone, said: “Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) environmental team and an Environment Agency (EA) officer are dealing with a possible pollution incident.

“A member of the public has contacted them to advise that a surface water drain located opposite The Sandgate Hotel seems to be discharging sewage onto the beach.

There is a no-swim warning in place at Sandgate
There is a no-swim warning in place at Sandgate

“An EA officer and Southern Water are on site now, and after some tests, it has been confirmed that there appears to be a leak from a sewer that runs parallel to this storm drain.

“Mitigation works are underway. The storm drain will be blocked, and tankers arranged to remove the build-up of water.

“EA will keep us updated on any developments.”

FHDC is putting up signs and has warned residents about the potential pollution.

A spokesman said: “Advice against sea swimming at Sandgate has been issued.

Investigations are taking place at Sandgate Bay
Investigations are taking place at Sandgate Bay

“The EA and Southern Water are working to fix a sewage leak that has discharged into the storm drain outfall below Wellington Terrace.

“We are assisting and putting up signs in the immediate area.”

A Southern Water spokesman added: “We immediately sent teams to the location.

“We found contaminated water passing through a surface water drain, which included wastewater, and so quickly introduced a series of measures to protect the local environment, including tankers to control flows through the area.

“We have carried out investigations in the area to establish the cause, aided by CCTV technology, which we suspect may be a damaged sewer pipe.

“A sewer pipe is leaking into a surface water drain, so samples are low.

“Our teams are making good progress on the repair.

“The discharge from the surface water outfall has not entered the sea, and we are confident it has not affected bathing water quality.”

Last week, the EA carried out water testing nearby in Hythe.

Speaking at the beach, Lindsay Faulkner, area environment manager, said she “absolutely expects it to maintain its excellent water quality rating”.

Lindsay Faulkner, area environment manager at the Environment Agency
Lindsay Faulkner, area environment manager at the Environment Agency

She added: “It’s really important to us that local people know their community and their bathing water.

“Anyone can look at the data and then use that to make an informed decision about where they want to bathe.”

On the other side of Sandgate, in Dymchurch, the water was described as ‘poor’ in November - the worst-possible rating - meaning residents are advised not to swim in the area.

Tony Vaughan, MP for Folkestone and Hythe, pushed for a greater frequency of testing so that “blacklisted” beaches can have more up-to-date results reported.

Additional reporting by Alex Keir

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More