Sewage from a tug boat that discharged into a harbour has been contained, according to port authorities.
The BBC has been told that staff were informed in an email from Portland Port, Dorset, that sewage had been discharging from the Maiden Castle, one of three tugs operating in the harbour.
Bill Reeves, chief executive of Portland Port, said “action was taken immediately” and that the fault has “now been fixed”.
Dorset Council said it will investigate whether the leak is linked to why Weymouth’s beaches did not get blue flag status this year and is demanding an explanation.
Information passed to the BBC says that staff at the port were told last week the sewage containment tank on Maiden Castle had been discharging sewage into the harbour and they were told the facilities were not available on board the vessel.
Mr Reeves said: “It was discovered on 20 November that there was an issue with waste from the Maiden Castle tug being directed into the sea rather than its onboard containment tank.
“Portland Port takes this matter extremely seriously and action was taken immediately as soon as the issue was identified with marine staff told to cease the use of the onboard facilities.”
He explained the fault was with the waste control system that has now been fixed and that an internal investigation has been launched.
The port said Maiden Castle is one of three tugs at the port with a four-strong crew and is predominately used as a stand-by tug when other tugs are not available.
Mr Reeves said: “It is manned only during operational duties, which have averaged 2.4 hours per week during 2025.”
The port’s two other tugs are unaffected and the port said their waste systems are “in good working order”.
The BBC was also told that the sewage tank on board the Maiden Castle had not been emptied for more than ten years.
In response, Portland Port said: “Our energies are focused on ensuring that the problem is fixed, and that we put in place procedures to ensure that it doesn’t occur again.”
Nick Ireland, leader of Dorset Council and cabinet member for climate change and the environment said: “Weymouth lost this blue flag… and I am wondering now if this is possibly part of the cause.
“I’ll be asking our officers to write to the port and ask them what’s really behind this and if it is true and we’ll take it from there.”
