Posts Tagged ‘Bathing’
The UK’s Beaches Contaminated by Raw Sewage
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009
According to results released by Defra last week 30% of UK beaches failed to meet guideline standards which were set 30 years ago.
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) an environment campaign organisation in the UK claim that this confirms their fears that our bathing waters and beautiful surfing spots are being contaminated by raw sewage discharging from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).
Despite many warnings that this is happening and video evidence from the SAS the UK’s water companies don’t believe they have done anything wrong. Although they are appealing against the Environment Agencies attempts to regulate the 4000 unlicensed CSOs around the UK’s coastline.
The SAS have set up a new campaign to warn beach users of the impact of CSOs and the danger they are unwittingly exposing themselves to.
Evidence of the overuse of CSOs was exposed by the SAS on BBC 1 programme Panorama, entitled ‘Britain’s Dirty Beaches’ which aired this summer. Comments of disbelief and disgust flooded in from the general public according to SAS. They also reveal on their website that a number of water companies have launched an action to ensure that thousands of their CSOs escape environmental regulations. The companies in question are named and shamed on the SAS website.
Campaign Manager Andy Cummings is quoted on the SAS website as saying, “Once again the UK had failed to meet minimum standards set over 30 years ago for bathing water quality. SAS has been warning of poor results due to the UK’s over use of CSOs. The problem has gone on too long and SAS are calling on supporters to take action and adopt a CSO. If water companies are going to put water quality and public health at risk SAS will ensure the public are warned!”
Did you go to a UK beach this summer? Have you had any health problems from bathing in UK waters? We’d love to hear your stories good or bad.
Tags: Bathing, Beaches, Combined Sewer Overflows, CSOs, Environment, Environment Agency, Rubbish, SAS, Sewage, Surfers Against Sewage, Surfing, water, Water Companies
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