Water Quality
Responsibility for monitoring harbour waters and consenting discharges into the harbour rests with the Environment Agency. The quality of the water in Chichester Harbour is not statutorily assessed as bathing water and is not therefore monitored in accordance with the EC Bathing Water Directive by the regulator.
While it is recognised that harbour waters are not designated as bathing waters and are unlikely to receive this designation, the level of exposure to harbour water experienced by some users closely matches that of bathers.
Chichester Harbour Conservancy and Chichester District Council in their role as public health authority have instigated a monitoring regime to measure the water quality in the harbour and compare it with the bathing water directive standards to allow harbour users to readily assess levels of risk.
Harbour users can now check the water quality at various sites around the harbour by using the Chichester District Council website.
