40 beaches and swimming spots in the UK have been issued pollution warnings including the North of England following the heavy rain that overwhelmed sewage systems following months of little rain.
Warnings are in place across Lancashire, Cumbria and Yorkshire due to the sudden weather change according to ot Surfers Against Sewage.
Tourists have been advised against swimming in certain beauty spots across the UK due to the recent downpours. You can check which areas have been affected badly by their interactive map here.
Warnings of high pollution levels have been issued for Saltburn, Marke Sands, Redcar Lifeboat Station and Redcar Coatham after storm sewage was discharged from a sewer flow in the last 48 hours.
Also in Cumbria, Walney West Shore. Walney Sandy Gap and Walney Bigger Bank have all been issued with pollution notices.
An Environment Agency spokesman said: “The current risk of surface water flooding reinforces the need for robust action from water companies to reduce discharges from storm overflows. We are monitoring the current situation and supporting local authorities where needed.”
In a statement last week, Defra said: “The Environment Agency makes a daily pollution risk forecast at this site based on the effects of rain, wind, sunlight and seasonality on bathing water quality. These factors affect the levels of bacteria that get washed into the sea from livestock, sewage and urban drainage via rivers and streams and how they disperse.
“Between 2020 and 2025, we’re investing more than £200 million to reduce storm spills across the East of England and, as part of our Get River Positive commitment, we’ve promised that storm overflows will not be the reason for unhealthy rivers in our region by 2030.”
Northumbrian Water said: “During the heavy rain earlier this week, a short discharge of stormwater was made from a storm overflow at Spittal, near Berwick. Such discharges are mostly rainwater with a small percentage of wastewater that have come together because they use the same sewer network.
“At times of heavy rainfall, all water companies use storm overflows as a relief valve on our sewer network to protect the homes of customers and the environment from sewer flooding. Such discharges happen with both permission and scrutiny from the Environment Agency.
“In the last Bathing Water classifications released by Defra, 32 of the North East’s 34 designated bathing waters achieved either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ ratings, with Spittal in the highest category.
“We have invested heavily in upgrades to our wastewater network in the last two decades and beyond, which have played an important part in these results, and we continue to do so. More than £80 million of investment is targeted towards improvements related to storm overflows in our current 2020-25 operating period.”
Originally posted on Lakes Life.
