A council has called on Southern Water for answers after a damning report revealed it repeatedly spilled sewage into the sea on dry days.
Vicki Wells, environment leader at Worthing Borough Council, has demanded the water company reveals whether the town was affected by the illegal discharges.
A BBC investigation revealed that Southern Water released sewage while there was no rain 62 times last year, potentially leading to build ups which produce toxins "fatal to pets and pose a health risk to swimmers" according to Dr Linda May at the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology.
Cllr Wells, cabinet member for the environment, said: "It’s hugely concerning to hear that Southern Water has released sewage on dry days.
“From our initial communications with Southern Water, it doesn’t appear that Worthing has been affected by these discharges and our environmental officers are busy seeking confirmation of this.
“We want assurances that dry spills have not occurred locally and confirmation from Southern Water that they are immediately acting on the information provided by the BBC investigation. Residents need confidence that future dry weather won’t result in damaging sewage releases."
Southern Water was among three water companies which volunteered this information towards the investigation.
To calculate the dry spill dates, the BBC matched spill sites with rain figures for three days before and the day of the spill.
It is considered a dry spill when rain levels are below 0.25mm over all four days in nine square kilometres.
Cllr Wells said: “I personally welcome the news that Southern Water volunteered this data to the BBC. This has at least ensured that these dry spills have been identified, but sadly highlights the continued issues of sewage pollution.”
Southern Water rejected the council's concerns, saying the report was only relevant to a small number of sites, not including Worthing.
John Penicud, the company's head of wastewater, said: "So called ‘dry spills’ are a complex issue.
"Water is a powerful force of nature and high groundwater conditions can lead to rising water finding the path of least resistance into a network of sewer pipes and manholes.
"A discharge made up of groundwater is not caused by rainfall and can happen in dry weather. It is required to be reported as a ‘spill’.
"We work with the Environment Agency and stakeholders to cut these so-called ‘dry spills’ – and all forms of water and wastewater releases."
Read more: Water firm spilt sewage into county's waterways illegally on dry days
In one case study, a dry spill found by BBC analysis was backed up by Robert Bailey from the Clean Harbours Partnership who noticed his local chalk stream, the River Lavant near Chichester, had become "discoloured for many miles and was starting to fill with a white plume".
Worthing council has announced it is finalising bathing water applications in the area, opposite Beach House Grounds and Sea Lane, to ensure people can enjoy clean sea water all year round.
The zones allow the Environment Agency to test the seawater for bacteria annually.
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