Beaches in East Sussex have been closed after untreated wastewater was released into the sea at the shoreline.
Beaches in Bexhill and Normans Bay were shut after "significant" electrical issues at a pumping station.
In neighbouring Hastings, the borough council also advised people from swimming at Pelham Beach due to a pollution risk.
A Southern Water spokesman said the firm was "deeply sorry" and it understood "the distress this causes".
The liquid, including sewage, started being released when the primary power and back-up system failed on Wednesday.
Power was restored by the evening, with emergency generators in place.
Juliette Wills is a member of the Bexhill SeaGals, a sea-swimming group with about 1,000 members.
She said the sewage release will affect her mental and physical health because the swimming sessions were more than just a "splash around", and that they also help her while living with a disability.
She believes water companies should be "held accountable", and added: "It is unbelievable and outrageous that the water companies can just continue to get away with this."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-62589667