Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage has failed to stop a water company's plans to make emergency discharges of effluent into the sea off Brighton and Hove.
Environment Secretary David Miliband has refused to call in four applications allowing Southern Water to discharge treated sewage and raw effluent.
The emergency discharges would be allowed from the proposed new plant at Peacehaven as well as pumping stations at Marine Drive, Portobello and Black Rock.
Campaigners argued that a higher standard of sewage treatment would protect Sussex beaches and produce water that was suitable for domestic use.
Mr Miliband said recycling the sewage was too difficult and would not be cost effective.
Southern Water said the applications would allow it to pump storm sewage into the English Channel as far from beaches as practically possible.
The Environment Agency said it was concerned the Surfers Against Sewage proposals would reduce the company's ability to discharge storm sewage from Portobello's longer sea pumps.
That, it said, could lead to more storm sewage being pumped out close to beaches meeting Blue Flag standards.
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