Pollution warnings were put in place for dozens of beaches in England and Wales after untreated sewage was discharged into the sea around the coast.

Southern Water is one of the water companies responsible for those regions, along with Wessex Water and South West Water. In a statement, they said: “There were thunderstorms accompanied by heavy rain the night before last and Tuesday. Storm releases were made to protect homes, schools and businesses from flooding. The release is 95-97% rainwater and so should not be described as raw sewage. “We know customers do not like that the industry has to rely on these discharges to protect them, and we are pioneering a new approach.” However, it also seems that part of the problem, at least for beaches in East Sussex, was due to “significant” electrical issues at a pumping station click here.

Water companies have also been accused of failing to monitor sewage discharges at popular British seaside resorts. Data analysed by the Liberal Democrats found that many monitoring devices had either not been installed or do not work “90% of the time”. The Lib Dems said the data showed a quarter of sewage discharges went unmonitored last year as a result of a lack of monitors or faults. click here. Water firms have insisted they are committed to tackling the issue which appears to be the standard response whenever this happens.

The Surfers Against Sewage alerts map has a quick check on the latest beach water quality in more than 400 locations . Definitely worth a look if you are planning a beach swim. Click here

To read the Guardian coverage of this story click here