 Health warnings over sewage pollution have been issued for a whopping 54 beaches in the south-west of England The heavy rain which has battered parts of the country in recent days has left thousands of beachgoers at risk, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said. The marine conservation charity has put 33 Cornwall beaches under the 'sewage pollution alert', meaning storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours. A 'pollution risk forecast' has been issued for 21 others, which means there is a chance sewage will appear in the area. The SAS monitors 68 of the peninsula's beaches, with around 80% of them potentially polluted. Popular tourist hotspots, such as Looe, Falmouth and Penzance are among those affected. The main contributor to beach pollution is urban runoff – water from rain and other outdoor water usey, which does not soak into the ground and drains from roofs, driveways, sidewalks and other surfaces. Urban runoff often leads to polluted water entering the sea (Picture: Alamy) Surfers Against Sewage are protesting against sewage pollution (Picture: PA) The group has called the UK's sewage systems 'antiquated and woefully inadequate' (Picture: PA) The runoff results in fertilizers, pesticides, oil and untreated human and animal waste to run into waterways and eventually end up in the sea. Some water experts recommend waiting 72 hours before entering the sea after it rains, as swallowing contaminated water can lead to a number of serious illnesses. Symptoms to look out for include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cramps, inflamed stomach and intestines. Josh Harris, who is part of SAS, told Metro.co.uk: 'When it rains, it pours sewage. Water companies treat our coastline, rivers and lakes as an open sewer, with decades of under-investment whilst shareholders and directors get paid millions. 'It's a totally unacceptable si){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
Health warnings over sewage pollution have been issued for a whopping 54 beaches in the south-west of England
The heavy rain which has battered parts of the country in recent days has left thousands of beachgoers at risk, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) said.
The marine conservation charity has put 33 Cornwall beaches under the ‘sewage pollution alert’, meaning storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
A ‘pollution risk forecast’ has been issued for 21 others, which means there is a chance sewage will appear in the area.