Samples of bathing water from Viking Bay failed two tests in August

It follows a public meeting in October at which boat crews reported sailing through raw sewage off the Kent coast.

The meeting in Broadstairs on Monday evening will be attended by Thanet District Council, Southern Water and the Environment Agency.

An investigation is under way into why the samples failed two tests in August.

Defective sewers

Southern Water has said no waste water is discharged into Viking Bay.

It is investigating other causes for the failure, such as whether contamination occurred as a result of faulty drainage ducts or defective sewers.

A council spokesman said Southern Water and the Environment Agency had responsibility for waste water, while the council was responsible for drains.

An Environment Agency statement said bathing water in England and Wales was monitored weekly through the summer and judged on two sets of standards within a European Commission directive on bathing water quality.

Twenty samples were taken at Viking Bay, of which two failed the bathing water standard this year.

The meeting will take place at 1900 GMT in the Pavilion in Broadstairs.