Anger over sewage spills at Blue Flag beaches
SEWAGE has been dumped at Devon’s Blue Flag beaches over a period totalling more than 3,800 hours since 2020, Environment Agency data has shown.
A total of ten Blue Flag beaches, including those at Westward Ho! and Seaton, were highlighted in the data, with a total of 442 sewage outflows occurring in the county over the last two years.
According to data by the Environment Agency, Meadfoot Beach, Torquay, suffered the worst number of sewage outflow events (93), with the spills totalling 1,193 hours, or 49 days.
Exmouth beach was the second worst Blue Flag beach for sewage dumping in Devon, with 74 spills lasting a total of 1,175 hours. In September, residents and visitors were banned from swimming off Exmouth Beach due to pollution following heavy rain. Residents were also told not to swim in waters at Paignton Preston Sands, Goodrington and Salcombe North Sands.
The analysis of Environment Agency data was carried out by the
Liberal Democrats. The party’s environment spokesman, Tim Farron MP, said that beaches needed protecting from pollution, adding: “Ministers should tell water companies not a single drop more of sewage must be discharged in them.”
According to the data, water companies in England and Wales have dumped sewage at Blue Flag beaches 1,718 times.
Blue Flag accreditation is awarded to beaches for high water quality, environment management and safety, with 4,154 beaches having Blue Flag status worldwide.
Earlier this month, Surfers Against Sewage published a report highlighting the fact that 629 ‘dry spills’ had occurred in Devon between October 31 2021 and September 30 2022. These incidents involved sewage being discharged into Devon seas or rivers despite no “unusually heavy rainfall” being recorded.
Sewage outflows are intended to occur only during times of exceptional rainfall to help connected pipe networks cope and avoid waste water backing up into homes and residential areas.
Richard Foord, Tiverton and Honiton Liberal Democrat MP, raised the report by Cornwall-based Surfers Against Sewage in Parliament last week, saying his son became ill after swimming in a local river.
“Britain’s beaches are being spoiled by profiteering water companies that show little regard for where they dump sewage. Whilst they rake in multi-million pound profits, we are left to swim in raw sewage. The whole thing stinks,” he said.
“Our children should not be getting sick from spending time in nature or building sandcastles next to sewage. Meanwhile, the Government is slashing the environment department’s budget, which would otherwise help to end this disgusting legacy.
“Blue Flag beaches should be protected by the Government. Ministers should tell water companies to halt discharges into wild swimming spots. It is time for action.”
Blue flag beaches in Devon where sewage outflows have occurred since 2020 are listed as: Meadfoot Beach, Torquay; Exmouth Beach, Exmouth; Sidmouth Town Beach, Sidmouth; Dawlish Warren Beach, Dawlish; Teignmouth Town Beach, Teignmouth; Seaton Beach, Seaton; Preston Sands Beach, Paignton; Torre Abbey Beach, Torquay; Breakwater Beach, Brixham; Westward Ho! Beach, Bideford.
Amy Slack, Surfers Against Sewage head of campaigns and policy, said: “Over the last year, the UK public has made clear their disgust at what’s happening to our rivers and seas, and yet water companies continue to pollute at will. It’s high time the Government stepped up and took real action.”
A Water UK spokesman said: “Companies agree there is an urgent need to tackle storm overflows. They are set to launch one of the country’s largest-ever infrastructure programmes, which, if approved by regulators, will deliver £56 billion of improvements for our rivers and seas.”