Hove Lagoon Water Quality 

Hove Lagoon Water Quality

Interview with Seafront Officer Charles Branson

The water quality in Hove Lagoon is independently tested regularly during the summer season as part of the Brighton and Hove City Councils seafront beach water quality testing. Lagoon Watersports opened in 1994, since that date the water in Hove Lagoon has passed every test.

• The water in the Lagoon is sea water rather than fresh water which prevents some common water quality issues that lakes suffer from.
• There is a high level of evaporation and leakage in the Lagoon.
• The Lagoon is topped up with fresh seawater every few days.
• The sea water that goes into the Lagoon meets all bathing test requirements. When sea water  fails to meet this level (Eg when there is sewage discharge) we do not pump sea water into the Lagoon.
• The Lagoon is very shallow so the sun can penetrate to the bottom.
• Natural algae growth occurs in the Lagoon. This algae can look unpleasant particularly when it blows to one corner of the Lagoon. It is harmless. It is NOT blue/green algae that fresh water lakes can suffer from.
• Sometimes there is a smell. This smell is caused by the natural process of the algae.
• Brighton and Hove City Council treat the water with an organic substance to help suppress the algae growth.

• We do not pump water in to the Lagoon when sea water quality is poor.

IMPORTANT

The sign placed on the seafront by the Brighton and Hove Council Life Guards can refer to water quality. This sign refers to the sea water off the beach. It does NOT refer to Hove Lagoon.