Whisper
May 22nd, 2010, 08:53 PM
THE scandal of Britain’s dirty seas is revealed this weekend with evidence that raw sewage is being pumped up to five times a day into areas where holidaymakers swim and paddle. And the tag “the dirty man of Europe” looms again after Britain was ranked 18th out of 22 European countries for beach cleanliness.
The Sunday Times has obtained an Environment Agency database revealing tens of thousands of previously undisclosed sewage spills into bathing waters. It reveals:
nOne overflow sewer pipe at East Looe, southeast Cornwall, was operated 94 times during the summer of 2008, including five discharges in a 24-hour period in July.
nThree sewage overflow pipes at Combe Martin in north Devon operated more than 70 times during the 2008 season and more than 50 times in 2009. During one test, there were 23,400 faecal bacteria per 100 millilitres of water, compared with a recommended level for the cleanest beaches of 100 bacteria or fewer.
nThere were almost 19,000 raw sewage and floodwater spills recorded on the south coast in 2008-9, from Kent to Hampshire. Three sewage overflow pipes on the Isle of Wight were operated more than 100 times each in 2008.
Water companies have invested more than £80 billion since privatisation, and the cleanliness of coastal waters has improved dramatically in the past two decades. However, seaside water quality has declined in the past few years because of sewage from the overflows.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7134035.ece
The Sunday Times has obtained an Environment Agency database revealing tens of thousands of previously undisclosed sewage spills into bathing waters. It reveals:
nOne overflow sewer pipe at East Looe, southeast Cornwall, was operated 94 times during the summer of 2008, including five discharges in a 24-hour period in July.
nThree sewage overflow pipes at Combe Martin in north Devon operated more than 70 times during the 2008 season and more than 50 times in 2009. During one test, there were 23,400 faecal bacteria per 100 millilitres of water, compared with a recommended level for the cleanest beaches of 100 bacteria or fewer.
nThere were almost 19,000 raw sewage and floodwater spills recorded on the south coast in 2008-9, from Kent to Hampshire. Three sewage overflow pipes on the Isle of Wight were operated more than 100 times each in 2008.
Water companies have invested more than £80 billion since privatisation, and the cleanliness of coastal waters has improved dramatically in the past two decades. However, seaside water quality has declined in the past few years because of sewage from the overflows.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7134035.ece