Nearly 100 incidents of untreated sewage dumped on Scarborough’s beaches last year, activists say

Ocean conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage has released a new report stating that there have been 96 untreated sewage incidents entering both North Bay and South Bay in the past year.

In England and Wales, the report states that water companies were responsible for nearly 3,000 raw sewage pollution accidents from authorized combined sewer overflows between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020, which impacted some of the most popular bathing waters and beaches.

Surfers Against Sewage tracks these discharges with real-time data obtained from water companies and provides pollution alerts for 370 beaches via the Safer Seas Service app.

“I have been surfing in sewage and industrial waste for 42 years, including surfing in Yorkshire with sewage and sanitary pads floating alongside,” said local surfer Steve Crawford.

“It is the 21st century, we have been fighting for over 30 years and we will continue to fight until the industry and the government realize that the sea is not a landfill and we should not be their scavenger or their conscience.

“They should act with respect for the oceans, for the sailors and for the women who live and love it not out of obligation but out of right.

“Companies that abuse the right must be held accountable.”

Hugo Tagholm, Chief Executive of Surfers Against Sewage, added: “With nearly 100 untreated sewage spills in a year, it appears that Scarborough’s coastal waters are routinely used as a method of sewage disposal, rather than under the circumstances. exceptional where it is allowed.

“This is especially horrific in a year when we are all battling the Covid-19 pandemic, a virus that is being tracked through the sewers.”

The charity wants measures to be taken to prevent wastewater pollution, including stricter legislation on water quality and investments in sanitation infrastructure.

A spokesperson for Yorkshire Water said: “We know how important the Yorkshire coast is to our customers and visitors and we want to make sure we do our part by using new technologies and techniques to drive towards consistently excellent bathing water quality.

“Over the past few years we have invested over £ 100 million along the Yorkshire coast to improve bathing waters and continue to invest in innovative technologies, working with Scarborough Borough Council and the Environment Agency to make further improvements.

“Specifically in Scarborough, this year we were involved in a £ 1 million bathing water modeling project, involving global experts, to further understand the range of factors contributing to South Bay bathing water quality. “.

In August 2019, The Scarborough News launched our Keep our Coast Clean campaign to encourage visitors to dispose of their waste, ask companies to reduce single-use plastics and ensure no marine pollution, and ask Council to guarantee adequate garbage collection and beach cleaning crews are present.

Anyone wishing to support the campaign or having news related to it, please contact [email protected]