Swimmers at the upscale Sandbanks beach in Poole, Dorset, have been forced to cancel their weekly events due to sewage discharges into the sea, prompting concerns about public health and water quality. The East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club announced the cancellation of its Tuesday swim, citing a "real risk" to the safety of its members.
The club reported receiving an alert from the Surfers Against Sewage app indicating that Wessex Water had discharged sewage near their usual swimming spot at Shore Road. Swimmers observed a "brown sludge" in the water, with one individual immediately exiting the sea after entering.
"It is a beautiful Blue Flag beach and I think it is disgusting that the water companies are allowed to dump sewage into the sea and pollute it," said swimming instructor Elizabeth Mills, a member of the club. She expressed frustration that water companies are permitted to discharge sewage into popular swimming locations.
While the club was alerted to the pollution, they noted that unsuspecting tourists might not be aware of the risks and could potentially fall ill. The club posted on Facebook that the decision to cancel was made out of its duty of care to keep swimmers safe, and encouraged members to contact their MPs and the responsible water companies.
These incidents follow a reported case last month where two young girls were hospitalized with bacterial infections after swimming and paddleboarding in Christchurch Harbour. Eight-year-old Keeva Hollow was hospitalized with campylobacter after swallowing water while swimming off Avon Beach. Her mother, Aisling McCarthy, stated that Keeva experienced a high temperature and diarrhea within 24 hours of exposure and lost significant weight during her recovery. The hospital diagnosed campylobacter, which can be caused by water pollution.
IMAGE2: Keeva Hollow, eight, was hospitalised with campylobacter after swimming off Avon Beach, close to the entrance to the harbour
IMAGE1: Keeva's mother Aisling McCarthy said: 'She lost a lot of weight because she didn't really eat for two weeks, that was a really worrying time. The hospital found campylobacter, which can be caused by water pollution or food contamination (Keeva is pictured left)
More than 500 people reportedly attended a meeting in Christchurch to address concerns with Wessex Water and the Environment Agency regarding the state of local waterways.
Wessex Water confirmed four sewage discharges at Shore Road on Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson stated that while their licensed overflows primarily release rainwater and groundwater, the company agrees they are outdated. The company is investing over £8 million monthly in schemes to reduce the frequency of these discharges and is undertaking sewer relining projects. They also suggested that better rainwater management at source, supported by government policies, is needed.
An Environment Agency spokesperson said the agency takes its role in improving water quality seriously and is holding water companies accountable by requiring them to make thousands of improvements, including repairs to sewage works and infrastructure upgrades.