Calls have been made for a "state of emergency" to be declared at one UK beach after untreated sewage was pumped into the sea.
Councillors in North East Lincolncshire have bemoaned the quality of water in Grimsby and Cleethorpes after untreated sewage was discharged into rivers and the sea.
Cleethorpes Beach's loss of Blue Flag status featured significantly in the debate around the area's water quality at a recent full council meeting.
Labour councillors argued that MPs Martin Vickers and Lia Nici were not taking seriously and had not done enough nationally to push the issue of water companies discharging untreated sewage into rivers.
They called for a declaration of a "state of emergency over the cleanliness of our rivers and coastline" and for the Environment Secretary to be written to, GrimsbyLive reports.
'Do not swim' warnings have been issued for Cleethorpes Beach in recent weeks due to sewage discharge there and the loss of the beach's Blue Flag status were cited as evidence of the problem in the area.
But the Conservative administration rejected the proposed motion and also did not put forward any amended version.
It was instead argued that the Labour group were bringing in a national issue to the region.
They added that improvements in water quality were being made in England and that Cleethorpes' geographical position at the edge of where the Humber Estuary meets the North Sea was a significant factor with pollution there.
Labour opposition leader Cllr Matthew Patrick said: "This year alone, more than 50 beaches gave warnings that the water was not safe to swim in as a consequence of raw sewage. On August 17, the government issued a 'pollution risk warning' for the resort alongside the beaches at Humberston Fitties and Ingoldsmells South, and rather depressingly too, Cleethorpes this year lost its Blue Flag award, as the cleanliness of our water was downgraded, falling below a rating of excellent."
He took aim at council leader Cllr Phillip Jackson's posing for photos after Cleethorpes Beach awarded Blue Flag status just after the 2019 local elections where the council changed hands.
"Like so much, over these past few years, a Labour achievement he could be proud of has slipped through his fingers," he added.
"We need to make our stand, before it is too late," said Cllr Patrick, before adding: "Our MPs need to decide whose side they are on, ours, or the water authority shareholders."
The office of Martin Vickers, MP for Cleethorpes, provided an extensive brief to the BBC's Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of the meeting defending his actions, including his decision to reject an amendment by the Duke of Wellington to the Environment Act in 2021.
The amendment called for water companies "to take all reasonable steps to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged from storm overflows".
On this specific vote, the MP's brief said: "The Opposition motion is based on the false premise that there is a quick and easy solution to this when there is not. It is built on the back of a political campaign surrounding the Duke of Wellington’s amendment to the Environment Act 2021 which, it was inaccurately claimed at the time, would provide an instant solution.
"What these campaigners did not explain was that the Duke of Wellington withdrew his own amendment after agreeing a compromise with the Government that he supported which was, ultimately, backed by both Houses of Parliament.
"The reality is that there is no means of immediately preventing sewage discharges at Cleethorpes or anywhere else in the UK. What is required is a major infrastructure programme costing billions of pounds over many years."
The brief added that under the Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan, there will be 70 per cent fewer discharges into bathing waters by 2035. Martin Vickers has met Anglian Water to discuss the situation in Cleethorpes and also raised the issue in the House of Commons on September 6, suggesting a target for fewer discharges earlier than 2035.
In response, the then-Environment Secretary George Eustice, told the Cleethorpes MP: "I repeat that it is not the case that nothing is happening until 2035; indeed, we are spending more than £3 billion out to 2025, which will lead to a 25% reduction."
Labour Cllr Marie Green said Cleethorpes had lost a "priceless symbol" in a blow to traders when Blue Flag status was not applied for in May by the council due to issues with water quality.
"This is our opportunity to demonstrate we are on their side and are doing our best to support them," she said.
"It is my belief that this is just another example of the local Labour Party jumping on a national issue," added Conservative Cllr David Hasthorpe, who took a scathing view of the Labour motion.
"How do they know we've been let down by our representatives in Westminster?"
He also argued that the council's own ability to tackle the issue was limited because any waste from further up the Humber Estuary, including Hull, inevitably passed down to it.
Fellow Conservative Cllr Stan Shreeve was a little more sympathetic to the motion and said he welcomed the opportunity to discuss water quality. But its wording was "misguided" and water quality locally was classified as good.
Labour's motion lost by 25 votes to 7, with the Mayor, Independent and Lib Dem councillors abstaining.
