Protecting Your Health

The Problem

Coming into contact with sewage polluted water while surfing, swimming, diving or any other recreational watersport is not a pleasant experience and can leave you feeling pretty sick.

Unless sewage is fully treated using either ultra-violet disinfection or microfiltration, the effluent in a sewage outfall pipe will contain high levels of human-derived bacteria and viruses, with the pathogens entering the water column at the discharge point.

It is scientifically acknowledged that pathogens present in water can cause infection in water users. Micro-organisms can enter through the oral route (ingestion), through the eyes, ears and nose or through an open wound.

In the case of certain pathogens it takes only one viral particle to cause an infection. Infections can even be contracted from the aerosol spray blown from the water's surface as micro-organisms are contained within the minute water droplets that are unsuspectingly inhaled.

Pathogens don't all die off quickly. Some pathogens can survive for long periods of time, such as, hepatitis A, which can survive for up to 100 days in saltwater!

The most common complaints amongst recreational water users, although painful, are relatively harmless; ear, nose and throat infections, eye and wound infections and gastro-intestinal complaints such as diarrhoea and vomiting. Unfortunately there are other more serious illnesses that can be contracted from sewage contaminated water; bacillary dysentery, pneumonia, botulism, hepatitis A, meningitis and septicaemia. These are just a few but they are all capable of keeping you out of the water for weeks or months at a time.

Research, conducted in conjunction with SAS, has shown that surfers are three times more likely to contract hepatitis A than the general public, but indicated that all water users may be at risk. Those regularly entering the water in the vicinity of an outfall that discharges raw or partially treated sewage are advised to discuss with a doctor, the possibility of having a hepatitis A injection.

With such risks to health, SAS has been campaigning for better protection for recreational water users through the EU Bathing Water Directive. This legislation dates back to 1976 and rates water quality across the EU over a 20 week bathing season from the beginning of May to the end of September. Beaches are currently classified as excellent, good or poor, but are completely 'out of sync' with world health expert opinion and modern day recreational water use. For example a beach passing the good water quality standard still presents a bather with a 12 - 15% risk of contracting gastro-enteritis!

SAS has longed campaigned for a revision of this Directive and our hard work has begun to pay off. An EU agreement made in 2006 will lead to a series of improvements, starting in 2008. Notably these include a tightening of the water quality standards so the health risk associated with a beach now passing the good water quality standard has been reduced. Also included in the new Directive will be more real time information on water quality that will help recreational water users identify where and when to use a bathing water for recreation.

These improvements to the Directive will have benefits to recreational water users for certain but SAS are disappointed the new Directive failed to define 'recreational water users' in the definition of what is a 'bather'. With scientists already proving that certain groups of recreational water users are more at risk of falling sick than traditional bathers this Directive continues to ignore and discriminate against the recreational water user. In addition the Directive only relates to designated bathing waters. These are popular bathing waters, often where recreational water activity is undertaken, but many recreational water sports take place outside of designated bathing waters and are therefore not covered by this Directive. The Bathing Water Directive also only accounts for water quality sampling in the bathing season. Outside of that period no sampling is carried out nor no recognition that recreational watersports are carried out all year round, made possible by advancement in wetsuit technology! For some watersports, such as surfing, weather conditions are actually better outside of the bathing season making for more crowded line-ups!

The Solution

SAS continues to campaign for a legal recognition of 'recreational water users' as the group most at risk of suffering illness from using sewage polluted water, in order to better protect their health.

We are also seeking to define areas of popular recreational water use that sit outside the designated bathing waters list, yet should be benefiting from clean and safe water. These include areas of water that might be used regularly by a club or association, or, are used as a training facility or competition venue.

If you think you have become ill as a result of coming into contact with polluted water please complete our online Medical Form (link). By completing this form we can investigate any pollution incidents that might have occurred leading to your illness and lobby for environmental improvements should we discover an underlying issue that's causing pollution.

Related Articles

8th May 08	Surfing Legends celebrate Tintagel Sewage Victory
29th Oct 07	Surfers air concerns over water quality before Lowestoft sewage treatment turnoff
29th Mar 07	SAS Demo - Newcastle 4th April
14th Mar 07	SAS & Quiksilver Launch 'Green' Surf Film
20th Nov 06	Sick Surfer Delivered to Northumbrian Water
15th Nov 06	SAS Welcome Bathing Water Improvements but Issue Words of Caution
14th Nov 06	Arthurian Legends Back in Tintagel to Campaign for Proper Sewage Treatment
2nd Nov 06	Urgent Action Required Against Northumbrian Water
25th Oct 06	Surfers to Oppose Northumbrian Water's Plans to Turn off the U.V.
28th Jun 06	First Leg of 'Call of the Wild Tour' completed by SAS

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