SAS Sewage Alert Service, Text Alerts Now Available For South West Beaches
17 more beaches can now offer free real time text warnings when sewage spills.
We are pleased to welcome an extra 17 new beaches across Cornwall, Devon and Saltburn to their revolutionary Sewage Alert Service. We have spent the past year working closely with South West Water (SWW), Northumbrian Water the Environment Agency (EA), local authorities and Visit Cornwall. SAS commend the water companies for voluntarily providing SAS with real time information on raw sewage discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). There are now 44 beaches around England and Wales where we... Read more
Real time water quality warnings issued to safeguard users at 10 popular beaches
Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) flagship Sewage Alerts Service text message warnings kicked into action last weekend during heavy downpours at some of the most popular beaches in Wales and Southern England.
For the first time ever beach users were warned in real time during raw sewage discharges at popular beaches. SAS provided this vital water quality information FREE to beach users, surfers and watersports enthusiasts who had registered for SAS’s Sewage Alert Service text alerts. . The information was also updated live on SAS’s online... Read more
SAS Are Ready To Provide Free Real Time Sewage Alerts For All Beach Users
At the start of the bathing season, May the 15th, we’re proud to be launching a new real time sewage warning system that will tell you exactly when sewage is being discharged into the sea at key locations around the UK. We have developed an online map that will automatically update you in real-time with information on combined sewer overflow (CSO) spills at surf spots. You’ll even be able to sign up for free text messages alerting you to sewage spills at some of our nation’s best... Read more
SAS are concerned to learn that Foundation of Environmental Education (FEE) is considering rewriting the rulebook to relax regulations on sewage discharges from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). Our directors are writing to the director of FEE calling for Blue Flag beach users to be protected from raw sewage discharges and we need you to do the same. Scroll down to sign and send our letter.
We have learned that FEE is considering amending the criteria that beaches have to meet to achieve the coveted Blue Flag status including watering down criterion 28 relating to real-time public warnings when raw sewage is discharged from Combined... Read more
Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are celebrating this bank holiday Monday as Keep Britain Tidy commit to warning systems informing the public after sewage discharges on Blue Flag beaches. This commitment is a direct response to SAS exposing over 25% of the UK’s Blue Flags as currently failing to meet the imperative Blue Flag regulations and failing to warn the public after sewage spills. SAS are confident that next year’s Blue Flag beaches will provide beach lovers with an enhanced beach experience.
On 06/08/10 SAS raised their own brown flags on Blue Flag beaches that they believe have Combined... Read more
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
Clean water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have received strong support for a pilot scheme to warn beach users ofpotential poor water qualityat a meeting organised by MP Julia Goldsworthy. The pilot project will be running on (some) beaches in the South West for the 2010 bathing season.
Attending the meeting with SAS and Liberal Democrat MP, Julia Goldsworthy, were the Environment Agency, the RNLI, Cornwall Council, Consumer Council for Water and South West Water (SWW).
Since SAS starred in this summer's Panorama, "Britain's Dirty Beaches", the most watched Panorama of the year, SAS have been lobbying for short term pollution warnings.... Read more
Clean Water campaigners Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) are outraged, but not surprised, by bathing water results released today by Defra. 30% of UK beaches failed to meet guideline standards, a shockingly high figure that confirms SAS's fears that our bathing waters and surf spots are being contaminated by raw sewage discharging from Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). And yet water companies are appealing against Environment Agency attempts to regulate 4,000 unlicensed CSOs. This combination of bad news for the environment has inspired SAS to launch the new "Adopt A CSO" campaign. This initiative will warn beach users of the impacts CSOs... 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
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
