Council gets tough on water quality

Following a meeting of Havant Borough Council’s Cabinet, it was agreed that a full programme of water quality sampling would begin in Langstone Harbour.

As part of the programme, seven sampling sites have been identified and water samples taken from those areas will be tested during a 20-week period, to understand what the environmental, health and safety impacts are within the harbour.

The Cabinet felt that monitoring is necessary to ensure public health protection, as the area is popular with water sport enthusiasts who regularly undertake activities such as kite surfing, wind surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and sailing.

The council is already working closely with the Environment Agency, Portsmouth City Council, Southern Water and the Langstone Harbour Board to ensure water quality is the best it can be however the councils own harbour sampling programme would provide meaningful results that will serve as judgement to the quality of the water.

Councillor Elizabeth Lloyd, Cabinet Lead for Local Plan, Environment and Water Quality, said “As a council we are not required, nor have a duty, to undertake testing of these waters, however there is a substantial interest in understanding current water quality within the harbour.

“Bathing water quality is already monitored by the Environment Agency at Beachlands and Eastoke with results being reported as excellent.  However, as part of our Corporate Strategy we have pledged to take measures to promote and embed environmental matters and consider environmental impacts in all our decisions to help tackle climate change.  This monitoring programme will assist us in achieving a fundamental understanding that will provide us with an ecological value to understanding the environmental impact.”

The samples will be taken by Langstone Harbour Board, who already have a presence on the water, before being taken for independent laboratory analysis.