Poor water reading a 'death blow' for holiday dip

A campaigner at a protest against water pollution at Kent

An E.coli reading for bathing water in a Kent coastal town has led a charity to warn that a "miracle" is needed to hold its Boxing Day Dip this year.

Deal Rotary Club president Edward Barkway told the BBC the new recording taken this month at Deal Castle was 2.5 half times higher than last year's reading.

Mr Barkway said this was a "death blow" for their event, which would normally raise about £10,000 for local charities.

Southern Water said it was "working hard to play their part in protecting and enhancing water quality".

Dover and Deal MP Mike Tapp and Environment Secretary Steve Reed visited Deal beach earlier this year

Jamie Pout, leader of the Independent Group at Dover District Council, said he had written to both the environment secretary, Steve Reed, and MP for Dover and Deal, Mike Tapp, calling for urgent action.

The latest reading was taken on the 7 July which recorded 9,900 colonies per 100ml of water, compared to the highest reading in 2024 which was 3,900 colonies per 100ml.

Mr Pout said: "Why are things getting worse? Whoever took that reading must have been forced to wade through actual human waste. This new reading is maddening."

Speaking about the impact to the local economy, he added: "Local shops, pubs, restaurants need answers to why sewage is being dumped in the sea."

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs said: "The government has put down the building blocks to clean up our rivers, lakes and seas.

"Ofwat, the failed water regulator will be abolished, and we will establish a new, single, powerful regulator to clean up our waterways for good."

Sarah Waite from Save our Seas Deal and Walmer said: "Our hopes of things getting better have been dashed by this new data."

The local campaign group added they were working to set up a "day of action" in the town following recent data on water quality.

'Deal a no-go town'

Mr Barkaway added the Boxing Day Dip had to be cancelled last year due to poor water quality.

"So many local communities and businesses benefit from the event, so to have to cancel it again would effectively brand Deal as a no-go holiday town," he said.

A Southern Water spokesperson said there were "many contributing factors" impacting water quality.

"This includes industrial, agricultural and highway run-off, and it is vital all partners come together to protect the environment," they added.

"In Kent, our teams continue to work with partners including the Environment Agency, Kent County Council and Dover District Council to understand the issues affecting water quality and to find and fix problems as quickly as possible."