Popular beaches close to London have been hit with sewer discharges with pollution warnings in place for dozens of beaches across England and Wales.
The pollution comes after heavy rains across England following this month’s heatwave.
Official data shows a number of discharges near beaches popular with Londoners, although water companies say these are necessary to protect homes, schools, businesses and hospitals from flooding as otherwise their networks would be overwhelmed.
The environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has compiled data showing sewage discharges into waters at beaches from Cornwall and Devon to Sussex and Essex.
The warnings are based on water firms’ data, with the majority of the alerts on the south coast.
Speaking on Good Morning Britain, its CEO, Hugo Tagholm, said: “This isn’t about individuals and personal responsibility, this is about water companies investing enough to stop sewage pollution of our beaches and our rivers”.
It comes as footage shared online appeared to show effluent being pumped into the sea at Seaford, East Sussex, sparking fury in the local community.
Here are many of the beaches popular with Londoners which have witnessed recent pollution alerts.
Southend
According to SAS, storm sewage has been discharged directly onto the beach at Thorpe Bay in Southend in the past 24 hours. The area is a popular sand and shingle beach which backs onto a seaside resort town, and the discharge is also said to be affecting the wider catchment area.
Meanwhile, nearby Shoeburyness has also recorded a storm sewage discharge in the past 48 hours, according to the data.
An Anglian Water spokesperson said the discharge was “predominantly rainwater” and the alert was issued “so people can make educated decisions about swimming in the sea”.
East Sussex
Popular Eastbourne beach has witnessed a sewer discharge in the past 48 hours, according to the data. The sewer overflow is situated 30m south of the bathing water.
Footage of sewage being pumped into water at nearby Seaford has sparked anger in the community, with one resident saying it made them feel “physically sick”.
Meanwhile, people are being advised not to bathe at Hastings Pelham beach on Friday because of likely reduced water quality.
There is one sewer overflow located at Hastings that discharges directly onto the beach and another that discharges six kilometres west of the bathing water, according to the data.
A similar warning is in place for Bexhill, a resort popular with Londoners, with SAS warning of 15 discharges in the area.
Southern Water said in a statement after footage of the Seaford discharge went viral that the majority of the discharges were “heavily diluted” and that new pilot schemes across the region aim to reduce the amount of rainfall entering the sewers by 2030.
Kent
In Kent, there are two sewer overflows into bathing water at Herne Bay, according to the data.
Nearby Tankerton beach on the north Kent coast has also witnessed a sewer overflow discharging directly onto the beach and another a little to the west that may affect water quality.
To the south coast of the county, several Surfers Against Sewage warnings are in place for beaches around Folkestone, just over an hour on the train from London.
There are two discharges approximately 700 metres offshore at Folkestone beach, while nearby Sandgate, a resort beach in the western outskirts of Folkestone, has also reported a discharge.
Neighbouring Hythe shingle beach, which stretches from Hythe to Dungeness, also reported an overflow.
West Sussex
Meanwhile in West Sussex, storm sewage has been reported in the shingle beach of Littlehampton.
One sewer overflow discharges into the mouth of the River Arun while 2 more discharges 500m upstream of the Arun. There is a final sewer overflow some 2km to the east of the beach.
