Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are extremely disappointed with the Planning Inspector's weak ruling, requiring water companies to make only minor improvements to their 4,000 unregulated Combine Sewer Overflows (CSOs). These minor improvements fall far short of what is needed to protect and improve the environment and SAS feel this has been an opportunity lost.
SAS supported the Environment Agency's proposed conditions, which didn't require excessive investment. Yet incredible, after 20 years of leniency, rather than embrace the decision with good grace the water companies involved appealed against 94% of the discharge consents! The appeal was brought before the... Read more
SAS are pleased to hear the European Commission (EC) has decided to take the United Kingdom to the European Court of Justice over non-compliance with EU environment legislation. SAS has spent the summer highlighting the inadequacies of the UK's sewerage system, specifically with Combine Sewage and Stormwater Overflow drains (CSOs), culminating in the hard-hitting Panorama programme "Britain's Dirty Beaches". The EC is concerned that the urban waste water collecting systems and treatment facilities in London and Whitburn in North East England and have deemed them "inadequate and a threat to human health."
SAS have highlighted time and again concerns over the... Read more
SAS clean water campaigners were joined on Peacehaven Beach by Peacehaven Town Council officials yesterday to start Peaceavens bathing water designation process yesterday, 30th September, which marks the official end to the bathing season in England and Wales. SAS handed over a petition from water users supporting SASs Love Your Beach campaign, which hopes to see the recreational waters at Peacehaven receive full EU bathing water designation.
On Valentines Day this year SAS launched their Love Your Beach campaign, which enables recreational water users to apply for bathing water designation for their recreational water sites, providing them with extra protection and... Read more
Scottish SAS Representatives Warn Of Potential Increased Health Risks As Sewage Treatment Reduced At The East Coast's Premier Surf Spot
Surfers Against Sewage's (SAS) Scottish representative is joined on Pease Bay beach by locals surfers to warn waveriders of the potential increased health risk at Pease Bay as Scottish Water reduce the levels of sewage treatment from tomorrow.
4 weeks ago today SAS unveiled a straw poll to the local waveriding community in Pease Bay. In just 4 weeks over 200 people have committed to using the sea at Pease outside the bathing season and joined the SAS call for full year... Read more
SAS campaigners starred in this weeks shocking BBC 1 Panorama programme 'Britain's Dirty Beaches'. The programme showed the nation SAS's exclusive footage of raw sewage discharging into rivers and bathing waters. This is a scene that is replicated in rivers, seas and bathing waters all over the country after heavy rain.
It was the most watched Panorama programme of the year and really hit a nerve across the country. The response we have received since Panorama aired has been fantastic, a mixture of shock at the previously hidden primitive methods of regular sewage disposal and gratitude to SAS for helping Panorama... Read more
Clean water campaigners from Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are urging all water users to watch Panorama this Monday the 7th of September, BBC1 at 8.30pm. SAS have helped the Panorama team expose the shocking truth that after heavy rain, raw sewage is consistently discharging into our rivers, seas and bathing waters without warning to the public and water users.
SAS Campaign manager Andy Cummins features heavily in the programme and captures the most outrageous footage of a Combined Sewage and Stormwater Overflow drain (CSO) discharging raw sewage into a river. This is the first time this disgusting practice has been highlighted,... Read more
Surfers Against Sewage call for year-round protection for Pease Bay surfers
This year, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) asked all UK water companies if they had any plans to reduce their sewage treatment outside the bathing season (May - September). Outside the bathing season is usually the best period for surf in the UK and reducing sewage treatment increases the health risks for surfers and waveriders.
When SAS asked Scottish Water if they planned to reduce their sewage treatment, thus increasing the health risk to surfers and waveriders, they replied with "It is not a question of switching off treatment outside the bathing... Read more
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has once again teamed up with Barefoot wine for their nationwide beach clean-up tour this summer. The SAS team will visit 6 beaches around the UK and everyone's welcome to help.
Whether you're a part of the local community or you just fancy rolling up your sleeves and getting involved, SAS and Barefoot need your help make our British beaches 'Barefoot Friendly'.
This year the SAS Barefoot Friendly Beach Cleaning Tour will be visiting:
Newquay, (Fistral's South end) on 29th July
Croyde (Baggy Point End) on 30th July
Bournemouth (By Bournemouth Pier) on 31st July
Llangennith (Hill End Campsite) on 1st August
Saltburn-by-Sea... Read more
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Surfers Against Sewage has published their new guidance for offshore renewable developers today, World Ocean Day, as the first act within the new Protect Our Waves (POW) campaign. The guidance highlights sites of special surfing interest that developers should avoid. If the guidance is used effectively it could also help speed up the consent process for suitable offshore developments.
The guidance can be read here and SAS are posting a hard copy to all offshore renewable developers as well as the relevant industry and Government bodies.
SAS has consistently supported offshore renewables and believe they can play a vital part... Read more
The SAS campaign team has always punched above it's weight. We do this because we are surfers, water users and started out as SAS members and so the campaigns mean as much to us as they does to you. We put in the long hours, determined that each campaign will end in an SAS victory, a victory for surfers, waveriders and water users all over the UK.
We want to do more, but we need your help. We want to extend the SAS campaign team to every corner of the UK coastline. We want to use our greatest resource, YOU, our... Read more
