istd booklet

THE CLEAN WATER ISSUE
Water quality at UK
beaches is still one
of the major battlegrounds
for Surfers
Against Sewage.
Sewage contamination
from combined sewer
overflows (CSO’s)
and diffuse pollution
remain two of the most
serious water quality
threats at popular
bathing waters, surf
spots and recreational
coastal sites right
around the UK.
The over reliance on
CSOs by water companies
is the cause
of thousands of short
term-pollution incidents
at beaches every
year. There are approximately
31,000 CSOs
around the UK, many of
which are completely
unregulated. The CSO
is a kind of emergency
outlet for the sewerage
system, discharging
untreated human
sewage and wastewater
into rivers and the
sea when the system is
close to bursting. However,
it appears that
many CSOs are being
used too frequently
as a means of regular
sewage disposal, not
just in the extreme
weather conditions
they are designed for.
This puts untreated
human sewage effluent
directly into some of
our most prized beaches
and surf spots,
with all the associated
health and environmental
risks that it
carries with it.
Water quality can also
be reduced by diffuse
pollution, which is the
term given to pollution
from multiple, often
unidentified sources.
When these sources
combine, they can have
a significant impact on
water quality. Examples
include road, urban and
agricultural run-off and
leakage from septic
tanks. Contaminants
can include pathogens,
hydrocarbons, chemicals,
heavy metals and
organic substances.
Even when individual
inputs are quite small,
collectively they can
significantly reduce
water quality.