Dairy products blocking drains on South Parade Pier blamed for drop in water quality at Southsea beach in Portsmouth

The problem, for which causes including roosting seagulls and sea defence work have been investigated, could have seen the bathing waters downgraded from ‘sufficient’ to ‘poor,’ although cabinet members were told on Tuesday (July 25) that recent results were “promising”.

A groundwater survey carried out in May found ‘extremely elevated’ levels of E.coli around the pier and last week Southern Water inspectors found a drain in a disused block of toilets on the pier was blocked by dairy products. This has since been cleared.

ALSO READ: People could soon be warned against swimming at Southsea beach

Steve Bell, the council’s regulatory services lead, said there were ‘encouraging’ early signs that recent efforts were leading to improvements.

“It’s too early to say whether this has solved the situation but the more faults that are found and repaired can hopefully only lead to a positive result,” he said.

Portsmouth has two designated bathing water sites that are monitored by the Environment Agency: Southsea East and Eastney with the latter having an ‘excellent’ rating.

But concerns around declines at the former have seen fears raised that it could fall further from ‘sufficient’ to ‘poor’.

“This would mean advising the public of this which could have impacts on people wishing to use our waters, as well as reputational concerns for the city,” Mr Bell said.

NOW READ: Seagull poo could be behind marked rise in seawater pollution

Cabinet members said this risk had ‘galvanised’ efforts to identify a cause and they welcomed recent improvements.

“I’m relieved to see that there is no deterioration and indeed that there is some improvement but there really is little similarity in the results we see to the east and to the west of the pier and this leads me to the assumption that the causes are complex,” councillor Hugh Mason, whose ward covers the area, said.

Council officers said there was a correlation between heavy rain and declines in water quality but that “evidence doesn’t point to the coastal work having an effect”.

Inspections of the sewage system by Southern Water have found damaged cracked and blistered pipes that have been replaced.

The council’s leader, councillor Steve Pitt, said he hoped these fixes, collectively, may have remedied the problem.