Beachgoers across England and Wales, particularly in the south, have been warned to stay away from the water after sewage was discharged into the sea following heavy rainfall. Pollution alerts have been issued by the Environment Agency, with signs erected at some beaches to warn the public.
Data collected by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) indicates storm sewage discharges have occurred at beaches in Cornwall, Cumbria, Devon, Essex, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland and Sussex. Storm overflows are designed to release sewage into rivers and the sea when sewers reach capacity during torrential rain, preventing flooding in streets.
The Environment Agency noted that recent rainfall and flooding have affected water quality. A spokesperson said: 'Throughout the bathing season, daily pollution risk forecasts are made for a number of bathing waters where water quality may be temporarily reduced due to factors, such as heavy rainfall – as is the case today – wind or the tide.'
Hugo Tagholm, head of Surfers Against Sewage, criticised water companies, stating: 'Every year we track thousands of sewage spills at some of England and Wales’s best loved beaches. Water companies are routinely using our rivers and beaches as a sewage dumping ground, compromising the health of the environment and people alike.'
Tagholm added that almost 3,500 sewage pollution events were recorded in the 2021 bathing season, with Southern Water topping the 'dirty beach league table' with an average of 38 sewage alerts per beach between May and September 2021. Real-time pollution alerts can be accessed via the Safer Seas & Rivers Service.
