Can you swim at Felpham?

Caution. Sewage discharge 5.5km away 8 hours ago. Felpham is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.

What is the water quality like at Felpham?

Felpham is rated Good in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 27 August 2026, showed 10 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 10 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.

Has there been sewage at Felpham recently?

Yes. 1 storm overflow within ten kilometres of Felpham: 1 in the last 48 hours.

← All bathing waters

England · Arun

Wednesday 2 September

Felpham

Caution. Sewage discharge 5.5km away 8 hours ago.

Water quality only This says nothing about tides, rip currents, cold water shock or lifeguard cover. Cold water and currents are dangerous even when the water is clean. Read the local signs before you go in. What we cannot tell you.

Checked 03:24 UK time

Why this verdict

Discharge nearby: 5.5km 8 hours ago (negative factor)
Annual classification: Good (positive factor)
Pollution risk forecast: Normal (positive factor)
Rainfall (24h): 0mm (positive factor)
Latest E. coli: 10 cfu/100ml (positive factor)
Latest intestinal enterococci: 10 cfu/100ml (positive factor)

Recent sewage discharges nearby

Storm overflows operated by Southern Water Services Limited within ten kilometres in the last 48 hours.

Ended 8 hours ago

SWS00437 · into RYEBANK RIFE

5.5km from the bathing water

See every spill happening now across the UK →

Latest bacteria reading

Latest sample · 27 August 2026 · 5 days ago

E. coli: 10cfu/100ml
Intestinal enterococci: 10cfu/100ml

The regulator samples weekly during the bathing season. E. coli and intestinal enterococci are the indicator organisms used in the official classification.

Sewage spills, 2023 to 2025

The Environment Agency links 10 storm overflows to Felpham. In 2025 they discharged 249 times.

Counted spills a year at the overflows feeding this bathing water.

454

2023

535

2024

249

2025

Down 45% since 2023, from 454 spills to 249.

Counting every monitored overflow within ten kilometres instead, whether or not it drains here, gives 522 spills across 20 overflows in 2025.

Common questions

Can you swim at Felpham?: Caution. Sewage discharge 5.5km away 8 hours ago. Felpham is a designated bathing water, so it is sampled and rated every season. This answer covers water quality only, not tides, currents or lifeguard cover.
What is the water quality like at Felpham?: Felpham is rated Good in the regulator's latest annual classification, a percentile taken over readings from up to four bathing seasons. The most recent sample, taken 27 August 2026, showed 10 cfu/100ml of E. coli and 10 cfu/100ml of intestinal enterococci.
Has there been sewage at Felpham recently?: Yes. 1 storm overflow within ten kilometres of Felpham: 1 in the last 48 hours.

Where this data comes from

Contains water-company storm overflow data, licensed under OGL v3
Spill counts from the Environment Agency EDM Storm Overflow Annual Returns, 2021 to 2025, published annually.
View the regulator's full profile

Other beaches nearby

Rated Sufficient Bognor Regis East Arun Rated Poor Bognor Regis (Aldwick) Arun Rated Excellent Middleton-on-sea Arun Rated Good Pagham Arun

Cleanest beaches in Arun →

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Gareth Clubb