04 August 2023 , 12:39
990
0
Brits planning beach holidays should stay out of the water at four popular Welsh coastal spots after massive sewage discharges polluted the water.
People are being told not to swim in the sea after marine conservation charity Surfers against Sewage issued sewage pollution alerts for two beaches on the Gower coast and two others in Wales.
Sewage has been discharged into both Langland Bay and Caswell Bay in Swansea, and at Wisemans Bridge near Saundersfoot and Newgale Beach in Pembrokeshire, following sewer overflows, Wales Online reported.
Wales has experienced heavy rain and thunderstorms in the past few days, which may have contributed to the contaminated water rushing into the surf. The beaches are far from the only ones which have been impacted by human waste overloads in recent years.
An alert is in place for Caswell Bay beach (WalesOnline/Gayle Marsh)Surfers Against Sewage say there were more than 389,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers in 2022. The organisation runs an interactive map where wild swimmers and beachgoers can find the latest spills. The Mirror's own interactive sewage spill map for rivers can be found below.
Plane passengers stuck on flight for 13 hours - only to end up where they began
"Appallingly the UK’s water users are as likely to become ill from seawater as they were in the 1990s with conditions ranging from sore throats and upset stomachs to serious illnesses like gastroenteritis, hepatitis, and E. coli," the organisation said in a statement.
In England 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 this week alone.
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".
A spokesperson for the Environmental Agency 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.
Unfortunately the sewage issues are unlikely to be over for the summer. 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.