Southsea Portsmouth: New electronic signs installed at Eastney beach to alert swimmers of sewage releases and 'help lead to long term change'

The two signs have been positioned along either side of Eastney Esplanade, with one by the Coffee Cup Eastney and the other close to The Southsea Beach Cafe. They will display daily information about the sewage releases that have occurred in the last 48 hours to alert people to the potential quality of the water.

The solar-powered signs have been installed by Portsmouth City Council, in collaboration with local groups Stop the Sewage Southsea, Final Straw Foundation and other environmental campaigners. According to Portsmouth City Council, the Environment Agency classifies the water quality at Eastney as ‘Good’.

The signs will display two simple messages: Either a green ‘no water quality alert’ or a red ‘sewage pollution alert’ if there has been a release within the last 48 hours. The signs use information from Surfers Against Sewage’s online map, which tracks storm overflow releases across the UK. They will be updated by the City Council daily and over the summer they will be live from 6am-8pm each day.

The new signs come after interim sewage signs were installed by the council in 2022. Sarah Shreeve from Stop the Sewage Southsea said: “In 2021 Stop the Sewage Southsea petitioned Portsmouth City Council to install warning signs in the swimming zone to support swimmers, paddleboarders and other water users to be able to make educated decisions about using the water safely.

“We’re thrilled that the interim signs secured in 2022 have been replaced with these electronic versions. We are thankful for the collaboration between local advocacy groups, and the hard work of (local campaigners) Mike Owens and Bianca Carr that has brought this brilliant project to fruition. We all hope it is just the first step in ensuring a clean, safe and enjoyable sea for everyone in the city to enjoy.”

The LED signs will relate to sewage discharges which could affect Eastney bathing water, not the water at Southsea East beach (located between the Pyramids and South Parade Pier), which the Environment Agency currently classifies as ‘Poor’. According to Portsmouth City Council, Southsea East is the only stretch of beach where bathing is not advised, and statutory signs are already in place there.

Bianca Carr from the Final Straw Foundation said: “These signs are a great step in helping people who use the water to make an informed decision about whether or not they go in. It’s a shame that this is needed and we hope it helps lead to long term change for our waters.”

City Council Leader Cllr Steve Pitt said: “Water companies should not be dumping sewage in bathing waters at all, however we know that is not always the reality. That is why councillors have been working with local campaigners over many months to create these signs, which will warn people of any sewage releases in the local vicinity.

“They provide simple, up-to-date information about the quality of our water, helping people to make informed decisions about bathing. Though the Council isn’t responsible for the quality of our waters, we continue to put pressure on those who are so people can continue to enjoy our fantastic beaches and feel confident about swimming all year round.”