A SURFER who lives by a top British beach rated among the best in Europe has slammed sewage being let into the sea – and claims it's even caused sickness among swimmers.
Gorleston beach – nestled between Norfolk's Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft in East Suffolk – has suffered from some of the worst sewage discharge in the region.
The stomach-churning pollution has resulted in stark warnings by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) – a campaign group keeping tabs on water quality across the UK.
Four pollution alerts were issued throughout March.
A number of water sports fanatics have taken issue with the stench – and describe the health implications of the sewage plaguing Gorleston beach.
Adam Williams, an outdoor instructor and die-hard water sports lover, claims that he knows people who have fallen ill as a result.
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He told Eastern Daily Press: “When it is bad, it really stinks.
"No one wants to go in and if you do, it leaves your kit smelly after.
"It’s awful.
“I know a number of people who have fallen ill from a bacterial infection picked up from being in the water.
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"I’m worried that if the issue is not taken care of it will put people off participating in water sports.”
Gorleston's water quality has been rated excellent by the Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra).
But those standards allegedly don't take into account short-term issues like sewage dumping during high rainfall.
Water companies are legally permitted to discharge surplus waste into rivers and seas.
While Anglian Water have conceded the "vital role" that procedure has in reducing the risk of floodings, the company have called on a newer and more sustainable alternative, as the current one is "“no longer the right solution when sewers become overloaded with rainwater”.
The government recently announced water companies would face legally binding targets to cut sewage discharges into the UK’s rivers.
A significant investment of £200million between 2020 and 2025 has also been pledged by Anglian Water to wean off the practice reduce the rate of "storm spills".
A spokeswoman said: "As part of our Get River Positive commitment we’ve promised that storm overflows will not be the reason for unhealthy watercourses in our region by 2030.
"And we’re working towards eliminating all serious pollutions by 2025.”
Defra have likewise strived to clamp down on the waste dumping by announcing the Plan for Water, an integrated project which could impose unlimited fines for illegal sewage dumping.
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