Improvements to Worthing’s bathing water sites
Released: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
Worthing has seen a welcome improvement in its coastal water quality this year, with today’s announcement of the Environment Agency’s classifications for the nation’s designated bathing sites.
The Environment Agency samples three coastal locations across Worthing for potentially harmful bacteria every week between May and September, helping provide a more accurate picture of the types and sources of pollution impacting the town’s coastal waters.
Following the publication of this year’s bathing water classifications, Worthing Borough Council is pleased to confirm that Goring Beach and the town’s central site near Heene Road have both been upgraded to ‘good’ classification from ‘satisfactory’, while Beach House, the stretch of sea located off Beach House Grounds, remains ‘poor.’
Although improvement at two of the town’s three bathing sites is welcome, dedicated work in partnership with the Environment Agency and Southern Water continues to tackle sources of pollution, particularly in the Beach House area.
This is only the second year of testing at Beach House and Goring Beach, which received bathing water designation in May 2024 following successful, community-backed applications to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
Photo: The Environment Agency taking a sample of the seawater at Goring Beach
Councillor Vicki Wells, Worthing’s cabinet member for environmental services, said:
“Today’s announcement is fantastic news for Worthing’s marine environment. Improving our coastal water quality is a collective responsibility and everyone can play their part.
“Worthing residents care passionately about our coastline and have already helped achieve the additional bathing designations. Since then, we have been working in close and productive partnership with both the Environment Agency and Southern Water. I’m delighted with the new bathing water classifications that reflect this ongoing work.
“More needs to be done to raise awareness of the many and varied sources of pollution impacting our coast, and we are as committed as ever to play our part and achieve the improvements so desperately needed.”
The partners are actively working to improve public signage and the council is looking forward to welcoming a dedicated citizen science facility next year that will enable residents to also help monitor the quality of the town’s seawater.
Photo: Worthing Pier and seafront
Ongoing investigations include the identification of misconnections, where a household, business or building’s wastewater is incorrectly connected to a surface water drain instead of the foul sewer system, meaning untreated sewage is sent directly into seas and rivers.
To raise awareness of the different potential sources of pollution, the partnership will be engaging with businesses to ensure the correct disposal of waste water and offer support to local stakeholders that want to do more to help protect the wonderful natural environment.
This summer also saw the roll out of the Yellow Fish campaign in Worthing, which aims to highlight how pollution of road surface drains directly impacts coastal water quality.
Road surface drains are designed to only transport rainwater, and drain directly to the sea via outlet pipes along the foreshore. Any chemicals or litter, whether it be paint, dog poo or fluid waste from campervans, therefore directly impacts local water quality.
Stickers and signs featuring yellow fish and the catchphrase “only rain down the drain” have been positioned beside the area’s road surface drains that are believed to be affected by third-party contamination.
To find out more about the area's bathing water sites, visit:
Photo: Signs and stickers for the Yellow Fish campaign near Goring seafront
(PR25-093)
Page last updated: 25 November 2025