The Environment Agency has issued advice against bathing at Viking Bay in Broadstairs and Fulsam Rock in Margate due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.
The impact on quality is due to heavy rainfall resulting in surface water – which can become contaminated – running off directly into the sea.
Thanet council has put signs out at both beaches to let people know that swimming is not advised.
The reduced water quality is not due to a discharge of foul sewage, it refers to surface runoff.
Standard ….
Southern Water’s monitoring page https://www.southernwater.co.uk/water-for-life/our-bathing-waters/beachbuoy has no notification of this release. Just shows how industry self-policing is an abject failure.
This isn’t helped by so many people turning their gardens into mini car parks!
Agree, but until planning insist on permeable driveways (and rainwater harvesting) things won’t change. And with the current government’s drive to abolish constraints on industry that’s not going to happen any time soon.
For once, I agree.
Phil Shotton, Until the highways enforce the SUDS law which came out in 2008 a lot of rainfall will just go down the roadside drains.
All Water customers also pay for Highways drainage, why cant the road owners pay for that drainage ?
Nothing to do with sewage ..sure