Blue Flag at risk over sewage concerns - council

Weymouth's "jewel-in-the-crown" beach looks set to lose its Blue Flag status due to a decline in water quality.

Dorset Council leader Nick Ireland said it was "almost inevitable" the town's central beach would lose the accolade, blaming a "not-fit-for-purpose sewage system".

He said a 33% year-on-year increase in sewage overflows from Chaffey's Lake, Radipole, was a likely factor.

Wessex Water said there was no direct link between the overflows - which discharge when rainwater enters the sewer system - and central beach.

The Environment Agency's water quality rating of Weymouth Central Beach ended 2024 as "good", instead of "excellent" which is the requirement for Blue Flag status.

Mr Ireland says there had been 16 incidents of sewage overflow at Chaffey's into the River Wey in 2024.

Several periods of discolouration were also noticed coming from the harbour mouth following periods of heavy rain, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Ireland said: "Decades of under-investment by the privately owned Wessex Water to an ageing and increasingly not-fit-for-purpose sewage system has made the loss of the Blue Flag status of Weymouth's jewel-in-the-crown beach almost inevitable."

A Wessex Water spokesperson said: "Environment Agency data does not link overflow discharges to the River Wey's ecological status at that location.

"We are investing £3m every month on schemes to reduce storm overflow discharges and have plans to do much more from 2025, including at sites like Chaffey's Lake where rainwater and groundwater enters sewers – often from private pipes."

Weymouth town councillor Matt Bell described the situation as "disappointing" and pledged to work with the Environment Agency and Wessex Water to improve the rating.

The deadline for Blue Flag applications, which is organised by Keep Britain Tidy, closes on 14 January.

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