SAS Welcome Bathing Water Improvements but Issue Words of Caution

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) have welcomed today's news that all designated bathing waters in Devon and Cornwall have passed the minimum EU water quality standard in 2006.

Whilst this is definitely great news following significant investment in sewage treatment upgrades from South West Water it comes in the year that the European Union has now agreed a new text for a revised Bathing Water Directive that includes stricter water quality standards that will need to be met in the next few years.

SAS has actively campaigned for a new Directive over recent years and our efforts have been rewarded earlier this year with the EU agreement. The strengthening of water quality standards was made on the basis that the current standard is too weak and did not reflect the true impacts on health from using bathing water. For example, the European Commission stated in the Bathing Water Directive revision that bathing sites complying with the current minimum EU standard present bathers with a 12 - 15% risk of contracting gastro-enteritis. This is the minimum standard that all our bathing waters have met this year. The new improved standards are likely to see some bathing waters fail in the region from 2008 after the Directive is transposed in to UK law.

SAS also have concerns that the water industry in general is under prepared for the impacts of climate change, in particular by not using up to date rainfall data to ensure sewage treatment works have sufficient capacity to cope with the predicted wastewater flows of the future. Through not being prepared we are likely to see an increase in pollution events from storm sewer overflows and more sewer flooding.

Richard Hardy, SAS Campaigns Director says: "We're pleased that all the bathing waters have finally met the 30 year old standard but are concerned that not all will meet the tighter water quality standards set down in the new Directive. To ensure we continue to maintain and improve on the clean and safe water the region thrives on, it's vital the water industry takes a longer term approach to the potential impacts presented by a changing climate, so it can provide customers with value for money and ensure the cost of environmental improvements are not falling solely on bill payers".

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