A major clean-up of the streams and ponds in Alexandra Park is under way.
Hastings Borough Council has been working with the Environment Agency and Southern Water as part of the project.
The water flowing through Alexandra Park ends up at the sea at Pelham beach and the council said it is committed to ensuring this water is as clean and free from pollution as possible.
The council also said the project is focused on providing natural and ecological solutions to the problem and has already changed the way the ponds work at Buckshole and planted new vegetation in the park stream.
The next phase of the project is the installation of new floating vegetated islands in the ponds. These islands are aimed at slowing the water flowing through the ponds to provide new opportunities for the roots of the islands to clean up the water.
Councillor Warren Davies, lead member for the environment, said: “We know that our bathing water is at risk of not meeting the new European standards next year and this is just one of a number of initiatives to help us improve its quality. The arrangement of floating island ecosystems is the next phase in this programme and is transforming the look of the Boating Lake and the other ponds in the lower park.
“We will divert more water from the stream into the existing network ornamental ponds and the floating island ecosystems will slow this flow of water. The longer the water can be kept in these ponds the greater effect the power of nature will have to help revitalise our waterways. We believe this is the first project in the UK to implement a natural ecology solution in an urban park.”
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