press release
    20th August 2004

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have embraced calls by the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) today to improve the Combined Sewage and Stormwater Overflow (CSO) network as a matter of urgency to prevent pollution incidents hindering the improvements we’ve seen to water quality in recent years.

SAS have been increasingly aware of the problems CSO’s are causing to water quality and the little or no notice given to the public warning them of the dangers of using rivers, lakes or seas for bathing or recreation when CSO’s are discharging untreated sewage into watercourses.

CSO’s are part and parcel of the sewerage infrastructure. They are there to be used in emergency situations when sewage treatment works can’t cope with the flows of water and sewage. Unfortunately they seem to be discharging much too frequently and are therefore putting bathing water quality at risk. The knock on effect of this is the potential to harm the health of recreational water users such as surfers and bathers who frequently become ill after contact with sewage polluted water. Additionally SAS have been campaigning for better signage that warns of the dangers of CSO’s and allows people to make an informed choice for themselves about using the water. One council using improved signage is Penwith District Council who are also currently red flagging the beach at Gwithian due to a pollution risk from the last few days heavy rainfall.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says: “Whilst the level of treatment sewage receives before discharge to sea or rivers is so much higher these days, the impact of climate change on the sewerage infrastructure may be severely underestimated at present and SAS strongly recommends significant investment during the next 5 years by water companies. Without it CSO’s are likely to cause more misery for both the environment and human health as bathing water quality results will dip and water users such as surfers who want to carry out healthy, active lifestyles won’t without fear of becoming sick."

For more information or mini dv footage of CSO impact on the water environment please call Richard or Andy on Tel: 0845 4583001 or Mob: 07711 767548