Contaminated water in more than 10 areas around Dorset and Southbourne are deemed ‘unsafe’ to swim in by environmental charity, Surfers Against Sewage.
Miles Hodgson, a local protester and surfer said: “You can always tell when there is a sewage release, the water tastes metallic, if there is rainfall it is worse.”
Richard Smith, an employee at Sorted Surf Shop said: “It has made a lot of customers ill, lots of them stop by the shop afterwards, if they aren’t surfing, they aren’t coming in.”
He added: “We have had to refund cancelled lessons when it’s been too contaminated.”
Mr Hodgson said: “For the first time in my experience there was a release in the summer, if this keeps happening it is going to stop tourists wanting to come to Bournemouth.”
Bournemouth has an award-winning beach, and a recent study showed it is the fourth greenest city in the UK.
Bournemouth’s tourism industry brings in over £500million per year and supports over 12,000 jobs.
Kate, from London, said: if the beach is “spoilt a stroll along the seafront I would be unlikely to spend any length of time there.”
Janette, from London, said: “It makes the beaches unpleasant and for the water companies to ruin Bournemouth’s beach is a crime.”
Matt Wheeldon, Director of Assets at Wessex Water, said: “We get accused of releasing sewage when actually it is an overflow due to rainfall not being separated from sewers.”
Wessex Water have plans to combat overflows at the source and are prioritising low-carbon solutions.
Wessex Water are working with BCP Council to develop “a real-time water quality sensor to measure bacteria levels” said Mr Wheeldon.
The sensors first went live in Poole Harbour in 2020, recently a search for a business partner to help expand the project to Boscombe Pier has been launched.
Mr Wheeldon said: “Reduced overflow means reduced wildlife, bacteria is essential to life, we must find a balance between environmental health and public health.”
Mr Wheeldon said: “We can all do a bit by collecting rainwater and returning it to the environment, before allowing it to connect to the sewer and causing an overflow.”
This can be as simple as a water-butt, then using what is collected to water plants.
If enough surface water from your property avoids the sewer you could be entitled to a reduction on your sewage charge.
Comments