From Southern Water
We know many of you are concerned about the plastic beads that have washed up on Camber Sands and the surrounding areas. We’re deeply sorry this has happened, and our priority is to put things right.
We’re continuing our daily clean-up operation, which will carry on into the new year. Since 8 November, more than 660 Southern Water staff and contractors have helped to remove beads found on the beach, alongside the amazing effort from community volunteers.
Our teams are now monitoring more than 60 miles of coastline in East Sussex and Kent daily. We’d like to reiterate that the beads are non-toxic and they pose no risk to water quality.
| Our next steps |
| This weekend we expect more beads to wash up on the beaches due to the spring tides. We’re prepared for this. We’re working with Rother District Council and Nurdle, a microplastics removal expert. Nurdle will be on Camber Sands beach from early on Saturday, 6 December, with a specialist hoover, which will carefully remove the beads from the sand and seaweed. Southern Water staff and contractors, Adler and Allen, will also help remove any beads that may wash up along the coastline. We’re really grateful for the fantastic help we’ve received so far from all volunteers. To allow the machinery to complete the clean-up safely and effectively, Nurdle is kindly asking for volunteers to stay away from the beach over the next few days, as walking on the beach could unintentionally push the beads into the sand, making the area harder to clean. For more information and to keep up to date with the latest clean-up progress, please visit Camber Sands updates. |
If you spot any beads on nearby beaches…
You can let us know on our online bead reporting tool. Here you can share the exact location and upload any pictures you’ve taken.
Thank you for your continued support and understanding.
The Southern Water Team