“We can’t go on like this.”
That is the message from the leader of North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) after a sewage spill at Mundesley beach marked the tenth overflow incident to contaminate beach water in north Norfolk this year.
Councillor Tim Adams said sewage spills “cannot continue” after people were warned not to swim at Mundesley beach when Anglian Water overflow systems were activated by heavy rainfall, leaking sewage into the sea on Monday, July 17.
The beach was opened again after around 24 hours and red ‘do-not-swim’ warning flags have been removed.
READ MORE: ‘Do-not-swim’ warning lifted at Norfolk beach after TENTH sewage spill this year
Mr Adams said: “We have got to see the investment in infrastructure to stop this happening.”
Combined sewage overflows are currently part of the national water system to release rainwater and wastewater – including sewage – into waterways in the event of heavy rainfall.
There was a total of 301,091 sewage spills across the UK last year - an average of 824 a day - according to Environment Agency figures.
The water quality at three north Norfolk beaches - East Runton, Mundesley and Sea Palling – was downgraded last year, which resulted in the loss of their Blue Flag status.
Earlier this year, privately-owned water companies pledged to spend £10bn by 2030 to cut the number of sewage overflows by up to 140,000 each year – promising the biggest modernisation of the nation’s sewer systems since the Victorian era.
READ MORE: The £10bn sorry: Water firms pledge to stop sewage spills in Norfolk's waterways
The investment is set to transform 350,000 miles of sewer – a length that would stretch 14 times around the world – and the National Overflows Plan also promises greater transparency from water companies – allowing them to be held to account for overflows.
North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker, who was criticised for voting against a bill proposing enhanced sanctions on water companies earlier this year, said he would “keep pushing” Anglian Water to invest in infrastructure to “eradicate” future sewage overflows.
READ MORE: Renewed calls to end sewage dumping as MP defends Westminster vote
“There is progress being made,” Mr Baker said.
“Anglian Water are investing £30m in water infrastructure in north Norfolk across a range of sites including sewerage schemes.
"This comes as part of what is expected to amass to £1bn in investment by 2030 throughout the region.
“So far, thanks to our new laws and measuring these spills, we have seen a 50pc reduction in combined sewage overflow spill frequencies in the Anglian region, of which their duration was also reduced by a further 54pc - making us the third highest area in terms of reduction of spills by number and joint greatest reduction in the total duration of spills.”
Anglian Water has said it would submit its business plan for 2025 to 2030 to the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) later this year, which promises to deliver a £2.5m scheme to reduce storm overflow spills.
It is said to be part of £1bn of investment in storm overflows across the Anglian Water region.
An Anglian Water spokesperson said: “We know how strongly our customers feel about storm overflows, and we agree that they are not the right way to deal with an overloaded sewer network.
“As part of our Get River Positive commitment, we’ve promised to ensure our operations are not the reason for unhealthy rivers and seas by the end of the decade.”
However Steffan Aquarone, the Liberal Democrats' party prospective candidate for North Norfolk, has called for “immediate urgent action” to stop the continuation of sewage spills.
Mr Aquarone said: “We live in a beautiful, precious, environmentally sacred part of the world and to have that ruined both environmentally and reputationally by these continuous discharges is not acceptable.”
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