Water firm's pledge after 'sick surfers' criticism
BBCA water company has said it will spend millions on reducing sewage discharges following claims they had made surfers and dogs sick.
Councillor Dr Tristan Learoyd also referenced reports of "brown water [and] visible sewage" in the sea at Marske when he spoke at a recent meeting of Redcar and Cleveland Council.
Learoyd, an independent, said figures showed there were 143 times when sewage was pumped into the water there last year and he accused Northumbrian Water of "spoiling the [area's] number one tourist asset – our beaches".
The firm said it was spending nearly £200m to "significantly reduce" the number of spills from storm overflows around Marske and further inland at Guisborough.
Water companies use storm overflows to release waste water into the sea and rivers when the sewerage system is at risk of being overwhelmed during heavy downpours or if blockages occur.
Waste water is a mix of used water and everything that flushes down drains and toilets, which includes human faeces.
Regulator Ofwat can set performance targets for firms related to the management of storm overflows and has acknowledged public concern over their use.
Learoyd said he had received personal accounts of "sick dogs and surfers" who had been in the sea at Marske.
Northumbrian Water said that while all bathing waters on the coast of Redcar and Cleveland met Defra's highest standards of 'good' or 'excellent', it planned to spend almost £200m to "significantly reduce" the number of spills from storm overflows in the Marske catchment and further inland in the Guisborough area.
By 2030, that would see spills cut to a maximum of two per bathing water season, it claimed.
Marske would also become the second area in the UK to use AI to predict rainfall and reduce the reliance on storm overflows, the firm added in a statement given to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
