Swimmers Cancel Sandbanks Meet After Sewage Spill Threatens Health at Blue Flag Beach

On Tuesday, the East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club cancelled its regular swim at Sandbanks after Wessex Water discharged sewage into the sea near the Blue Flag beach at Shore Road, a move prompted by recent heavy rainfall. Members were warned by the Surfers Against Sewage app and saw brown sludge in the water, prompting one participant to leave the water. Instructor Elizabeth Mills expressed anger at the practice, emphasizing the risk to swimmers and tourists.

The club posted on Facebook that safety obligations forced the cancellation and encouraged the public to use the app to write to MPs and water firms. The incident follows earlier hospitalisations of children with campylobacter after swimming in nearby Christchurch Harbour, underscoring ongoing public-health worries. Wessex Water acknowledged four discharges that day and said it is investing over £8 million monthly in infrastructure upgrades, while the Environment Agency pledged to hold water companies accountable for improvements.