04 August 2023 , 09:17
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Holidaymakers have been warned not to swim in the sea at a popular British beach due to concerns about raised levels of bacteria.
Red flags were erected at Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk on Wednesday amid health fears - while 63 beaches across the UK have been found to be contaminated with sewage.
North Norfolk District Council said it was "awaiting further guidance" from the Environment Agency, adding the issue is "different from a controlled spillage overflow alert".
EA said: "These forecasts are based on rainfall, wind and tidal patterns and alert people when water quality may be poor."
Steffan Aquarone, the Liberal Democrats' prospective parliamentary candidate for North Norfolk, said he was "disgusted and dismayed" after similar issues were raised at Mundesley Beach last month - though warnings only lasted a day.
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63 beaches have seen their waters contaminated with sewage this year (Surfers Against Sewage)Wells-next-the-Sea beach owners Holkham Estate have insisted the alert is "not related to raw sewage". The issue could impact the resort's annual carnival week. A spokesman told the Sun: "The bacteria at Wells is natural and related to the salt marshes and ‘wash off’ of bird/animal faeces."
Unseasonal heavy rain and flooding have resulted in dozens of beaches' waters being contaminated with sewage this summer. Treated sewage is regularly discharged from the sewerage system into waterways, while there are also overflows of untreated waste and stormwater into rivers.
With the nation having had weeks of downpours, there are many beaches up and down the UK that now have sewage warning alerts from Surfers Against Sewage. The marine conservation charity has provided an interactive map of beaches with warning signs. The service alerts potential swimmers to instances where sewage overflow mechanisms have been opened to avoid being overwhelmed. This leads to surface run-off and household sewage being sent into the sea and waterways.
The Met Office is predicting more rain on the way over the coming days while there is a yellow warning for wind that covers south west England and Wales on Saturday and another for showers in Northern Ireland. Brits are set to face gusts of up to 65mph during the miserable summer washout.
It comes as South West Water has acknowledged "there is more to do" after a series of pictures and videos show what appears to be sewage being discharged at Harlyn Sands, Padstow. A family also complained of swimming in the "sewage" and said that warning signs were not clear before they entered the water.
Further videos emerged this week showing storm overflow gushing out and into the ocean. While filming footage, one man said: "Back of Harlyn Sands, Padstow. Raw sewage absolutely stinks. They've been down here the last four days testing it and trying to unblock it."
In April, South West Water was given a £2.1million fine for pollution and dumping sewage in Cornwall. A spokesperson said: "There has been permitted storm overflow activity at some locations in Cornwall today following heavy, localised rainfall. Storm overflows are pressure relief valves built into our network that are an essential way to stop homes and businesses from flooding during periods of heavy rainfall.
“Reducing the use of storm overflows is a priority. We know there is more to do, and that is why we are investing record levels to dramatically reduce the use of storm overflows and reduce our impact on rivers by one-third by 2025. In Harlyn Bay, we are investing up to £800,000 to March 2025 to reduce the risk of environmental impact from our sewerage network and improve bathing water quality.”