West Bay Swimmers Action Group Paddle Out Protest 17th May 11am

A group of locals are sick of sewage alerts in our waters. We are furious that shareholders get paid and our bills go up while the water companies dump sewage in the rivers and seas endangering humans and wildlife. Enough is enough. We are testing the water ourselves. We demand better.

We have formed the West Bay Swimmers Action Group for all water users and concerned citizens. Join us on Facebook and Instagram

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MP Edward Morello with West Bay Swimmers Action Group and Surfers Against Sewage CEO Giles Bristow on the seafront at West Bay, with sea and hazy cliffs in the background. — Campaigners met with MP Edward Morello, chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs select committee and Surfers Against Sewage CEO Giles Bristow, and community water quality manager and Kirsty Davies, to discuss water bathing issues *(Image: West Bay Swimmers Action Group)*

A broken water industry - West Bay bathing water meeting

The West Bay Swimmers Action Group (WBSAG) had a productive meeting with Edward Morello (MP for West Dorset), Alistair Carmichael (Chair of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Select Committee), Giles Bristow (CEO of Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) and Kirsty Davies (Community Water Quality Manager of Surfers Against Sewage).

The meeting was held at East Beach West Bay to discuss bathing water quality issues.
The WBSAG wants East Beach at West Bay to be designated as a bathing water beach to ensure that it is monitored for sewage. At present it is not designated as a bathing beach and so is not monitored for sewage spills. If it was designated it would at least be monitored during the bathing water season (which runs from 15th May to 30th September).

With some financial and technical help from SAS the group is undertaking monitoring from May 2025-May 2026 as part of the process to get the beach designated as a bathing water beach and to provide some year-round data for water users.

Wider issues of pollution and water regulation were discussed and as part of calls for change WBSAG are taking part in the national SAS Paddle Out Protest at East Beach, West Bay on Saturday 17th May at 11 am.

A Spokesperson for the group said:

”We would like to thank our visitors today for hearing our concerns and hopes for the future. We are sure that many beach users would be surprised to discover that East Beach is not a designated bathing water beach. We hope that all water and beach users will come and support the paddle out and find out more about our wider pollution campaign”

Press contact for WBSAG
Deborah Legge
deborahlegge2@gmail.com
07777664630

First results of water testing back and excellent. We will test monthly for the next year...