Water quality — know what's in the water before you get in
We test the sea for the bacteria that signal sewage pollution, publish the results in plain English, and put them in the hands of everyone who swims, surfs and dives. It starts on one coastline and is built for all of them. E. coli is measured in colony-forming units (cfu) per 100 mL; the Environment Agency rates ≤250 as Excellent and ≤500 as Good.
The science
Two questions: is the water clean today (E. coli count, cfu/100 mL), and whose pollution is it (DNA source tracking, genomic copies of human, ruminant or gull markers)?
Latest results — Brighton & Hove (1 Jul 2026)
Collected and published by the volunteers of Brighton & Hove SeaCheck.
| Location | E. coli (cfu/100 mL) | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Palace Pier | 962 | Above guideline |
| Sea Lanes (Kemptown) | 72 | Excellent |
| Shoreham Beach | 37 | Excellent |
| King Alfred SRO | 14 | Excellent |
| Saltdean | ≤12 | Excellent |
| Newhaven East Beach | ≤12 | Excellent |
Become a tester
Every coastline deserves people watching over it. If you'd test your local water and upload results, we'll help you get started and put your readings on the map.