How these 30 Sussex beaches rank for water quality as 2 branded ‘no-go’ for swimming

When going to a beach, swimming is a key part of the experience, so it is important to choose the best for water quality.

There are 30 beaches across East and West Sussex that have been rated for their water quality by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

While many are ‘excellent’, there are some that are only ‘sufficient’, with two even rated ‘poor’ – the lowest possible score.

Here is how every beach is ranked, which may help you decide where to go on your next beach trip.

What are the DEFRA water quality rankings?

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) ranks water quality into four classifications, which are:

Excellent – the highest, cleanest class

Good – generally good water quality

Sufficient – the water quality meets the minimum standard

Poor – the water quality has not met the minimum standard

As of November 2025, 87% of designated English bathing waters are rated ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ by Defra, with 417 sites (93%) meeting minimum standards.

While 297 sites achieved an ‘Excellent’ rating, 32 sites (7%) were classified as ‘Poor’.

The latest results are based on the last four years of testing by the Environment Agency, which monitors for indicators of pollution known to be associated with risks to bathers’ health, specifically E. coli and intestinal enterococci.

Each bathing water has its own pressures, and many factors can influence bathing water quality, including storm overflows, agricultural runoff, birds, dogs, and other local issues.

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30 Sussex beaches ranked for water quality with 2 ‘poor’

There are 30 designated bathing sites in Sussex that have been rated for their water quality by DEFRA.

Here is all of them listed and which category they rank in:

‘Excellent’

West Wittering

Bracklesham Bay

Selsey

Middleton-on-sea

Shoreham Beach

Southwick Beach

Hove

Brighton Kempton

Rottingdean

Saltdean

Seaford

Birling Gap

Normans Bay

St Leonards

‘Good’

Pagham

Felpham

Littlehampton

Goring

Worthing

Lancing

Brighton Central

Eastbourne

Pevensey Bay

Hastings Pelham

Winchelsea

Camber

‘Sufficient’

Bognor Regis East

Bexhill

‘Poor’

Aldwick Beach

Worthing Beach House

Using the data, Locals Insider highlighted the 20 beaches across the country where locals are advised against swimming due to their ‘poor’ water quality.

Major seaside spots like Blackpool, Scarborough, and Weston-super-Mare are among them, as well as Aldwick and Worthing.

Worthing Council said previously that it is working to improve public signage and is looking forward to welcoming a dedicated citizen science facility that will enable residents to also help monitor the quality of the town’s seawater.

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