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Selsey

Photograph: Simon Carey

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

Selsey, West Sussex

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Lat/Long

50.7N 0.8W

East Beach, Selsey

Water quality

During the summer water samples are taken at popular UK bathing beaches and tested for bacteria which could
indicate the presence of pollution from sewage and/or animal waste. At the end of the bathing season these results
are then used to assign one of the following four grades to each beach:

‘Mandatory’ is the legal minimum standard which sets limits for the number of total coliforms and faecal
coliforms present in the sea water. Beaches which do not meet this standard are classified as ‘Fail’.

‘Guideline’ is a tighter UK standard which sets lower limits for total coliforms and faecal coliforms, and also
a limit for faecal streptococci.

‘MCS Recommended’ is our gold standard for excellent water quality. To achieve this beaches must meet
the Guideline standard, with the inclusion of any samples taken during wet weather which may have been legally
removed from government assessments by means of the ‘abnormal weather waiver’. Any local continuous sewage
discharges must be appropriately treated to remove the majority of bacteria and viruses using, as a minimum,
secondary treatment.

All of the results on our website are for samples taken during summer 2011.

Wet weather can lead to poor water quality – stay out of the sea for at least 48 hours after a storm to avoid
exposure to storm pollution.

See our ‘Clean Seas Matter’ page to find out more about water quality standards.

Mandatory View latest and historic water quality results for this beach.

Local sewage outflows

Sewage discharges which may be affecting the water quality at this beach.
See "Clean seas matter" to find out more about sewage treatment.

1 Sewer overflow(s).

European designated bathing water

Every summer, water quality is assessed at popular UK beaches which have been designated as bathing waters
under the European Bathing Water Directive (76/160/EEC). Water samples are also sometimes taken on beaches
which are not officially designated as bathing waters. At these beaches the regular sampling of the water is not
a legal requirement, but is instead carried out on a voluntary basis by the beach owner or local authority.

Lifeguarded

No lifeguard service

The unique Selsey Bill low headland reaches 3 miles out to sea. The beach extends in both directions from the headland. The groyne-ribbed beach to the east is most popular, backed by the sea wall with shingle stretching to Pagham.

Beach type

Shingle

Local facilities

Food, toilets, litter bins, slipway

Litter

Beach cleaned weekly

Parking

There is parking for 500 cars by the beach and a slipway which gets covered in shingle making launching difficult.

Disabled parking

Things to do

Swimming, sailing, windsurfing and diving.

Wildlife & walks

There are walks along the sea wall and a pond at the eastern beach. Pagham Harbour to the east is a nature reserve and a refuge for many species of birds, butterflies and plants.