Health fear over sewage dumped at swim spots
HEALTH concerns have been raised after water companies dumped sewage in public swimming sites for more than 160,000 hours last year.
Coastal bathing sites were affected at least 25,000 times.
United Utilities reportedly discharged sewage for 75,000 hours in more than 9,300 spills, Environment Agency data showed, while South West Water dumped more than 7,600 times – almost 44,000 hours.
The longest United discharge lasted 223 days at Morecambe South in Lancashire.
Other sites hit by sewage releases that continued for more than 1,500 hours included Wildersmouth beach, at Ilfracombe in Devon, Druridge Bay North in Northumberland and Clevedon Beach, Somerset.
The findings were published by the Liberal Democrats, who urged the Government to clamp down on water firms before the summer’s warmer weather puts holidaymakers at risk.
Lake District MP Tim Farron said it was “an environmental scandal”. He said: “Water companies are making billions in
profits whilst rivers and lakes are pumped full of sewage.”
Politicians and campaigners want a sewage tax on firms’ profits, to clean up waterways.
Water companies made £2.8billion in operating profit and paid £27million in bonuses to senior executives despite dumping sewage in waterways in 2020/21, the Lib Dems’ research has suggested.
Just 14 per cent of England’s rivers are thought to be in a good ecological state.
The Daily Express has highlighted the issue in our Green Britain Needs You campaign.
Water firms are allowed to discharge untreated sewage via overflow systems to prevent flooding of properties in extreme weather. Both United Utilities and South West Water were contacted for a comment.
Trade body Water UK said: “We need to combine new investment with action on wet wipes and ‘urban creep’ that are increasingly triggering spills.”