Outdoor pool closed after sewage overflow

A bathing pool has been closed "with immediate effect" following a leak from the site's toilets.

The States of Guernsey said it had been directed by Environmental Health to close the Ladies Pool at La Vallette after tests revealed foul drainage from the toilets had been found in public areas and the pool.

The Bathing Pools, the charity which oversees the site said the cesspit that served both the public toilets and cafe had "overfilled".

The government said investigations were ongoing to establish the extent of the issue and what remedial work would be required.

The States said regular bathing water quality sampling had been carried out on 24 August after which the provisional result received the following day had indicated a 'poor' result.

It said that had lead to a second test two days later which had indicated that the sample had met the 'good' criteria.

The government said since there had still been concerns, a dye test had been carried out from the cafe toilets on Wednesday using a red dye which showed that "foul drainage was escaping into the public area and subsequently reaching the Ladies Pool".

The Bathing Pools said Environmental Health had not advised the charity of an issue prior to the visit.

The charity said the cesspit had been emptied on Wednesday and it was seeking a longer term solution.

It apologised for the disruption and said it was "deeply disappointed" the issue had affected the use of the pool and water quality.

The government said the closure was "in everyone's best interests" while it investigated further.

The authority said the testing had not indicated the other bathing pools had been affected, so they would remain open.

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