There are now calls for more frequent testing so beachgoers have up-to-date understandings of the water quality
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Warmer weather will soon bring more tourists to Dimchurch, but they'll be greeted by signs advising against swimming.
00:07The Environment Agency downgrading the water quality to poor after investigations last year.
00:14But what about today? The local MP has taken a test himself and is now calling for this to happen regularly.
00:22The Environment Agency only tests the water for half of the year,
00:25and then in the bathing season when they do test it, it's at these weekly or more periodic points.
00:32Now that's fine, but actually we need to have more data from more places to show us whether the sea on a particular day is safe.
00:41Tony's test delivered results in just 15 minutes using this new piece of technology.
00:47The company behind it says it's easy to use and could be rolled out within the community.
00:53People are advised not to swim, but on our results what we're seeing is the risk is very low to go into the water and swim.
01:00How reliable are your tests?
01:02So our tests have been tested by different people across them, among them the EAC, FAS, NRW,
01:08and we have also other agencies that have done third part validation.
01:12But with each of these devices costing hundreds of pounds and 25 quid a test, not everyone could afford them.
01:20Tony Vaughan and Southern Water say they're in active discussions to set up citizen testing in the area,
01:26similar to what's already happening in Whitstable and Hastings.
01:30This is a river outlet on Dimchurches Beach. It flows right into the English Channel,
01:37and it could be this water here which is responsible for some of those bad tests from last year.
01:44Upstream, it could have picked up sewage from spills or manure or such from farmers' fields.
01:51It means that on any given day, pollution levels in the sea will vary.
01:57So with citizen testing potentially coming, would beachgoers follow that advice?
02:02I mean I suppose if it had been tested on that day, then why not?
02:08Someone here outside just here with a sign to say today it's been tested, this is how it's looking.
02:15If you've got a blanket ban that doesn't get revised for months on end, that seems unreasonable.
02:21As discussions continue, businesses say a solution can't come soon enough,
02:26especially with the Easter holidays expected to start off hotter than usual.
02:31Gabriel Morris in Dimchurch.