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More officers to probe sewage - Environment Agency

BBC Five women walk out of the sea, four are wearing swimsuits and one is in a bikini. Three of them are wearing flower head-dresses, and another three are wearing gloves. You can see the sun's rays poking through the clouds behind themBBC
Swimmers at Leigh-on-Sea brave the November water in the Thames Estuary

The Environment Agency has announced there will be 30 extra officers in the East of England who will focus on investigating pollution incidents by the water industry.

A Water Summit held in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, was told the increase in officers would mean 10 times the number of inspections.

Anglian Water has been prosecuted and fined last year for discharging sewage into waterways and sea. The summit heard the company had been prosecuted five times since 2022.

Anglian Water said it was investing £104m into improving the sewage system and reducing storm discharges in Southend.

Robin Price, the company's director of environment and water quality, told the BBC: "It will be about increasing the capacity of our sewer network so building bigger tanks, bigger sewers."

He added that alone will not be enough and "we've got to work together to keep surface water out of the sewer system. Things like sustainable urban drainage systems, not having block paved driveways, not astroturfing our gardens".

Daniella Boon, a regular swimmer in the Thames Estuary at Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, founded Waterwatch UK, a community-led organisation focused on improving water quality and accountability across the UK.

She said: "Anglian Water's plan to reduce storm overflows by 75% by 2030, which is five years ahead of the government guidelines, is incredible.

"That is something we have achieved through these summits."

A speaker and an audience at the Water Summit in Southend
An Environment Agency spokesperson addressing the Water Summit in Southend

Sewage discharges by water companies and faeces from pets and birds in the water around Southend were some of issues raised at the summit.

Shah Haider, from Southend Against Sewage, raised that the beach at Thorpe Bay, Essex, had lost its Blue Flag status - an internationally recognised award for beach and water cleanliness.

Mr Haider said "this year Westcliff looks like it might lose its blue flag status. We are having issues with E. Coli [in the estuary water], nobody is quite sure why".

David Burton-Sampson, the MP for Southend West and Leigh, said he was "worried" about the water around Westcliff "but likewise I am heartened that everybody has the best interest in making sure that these waters are cleaned up" following the summit, which was held at Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club.

A smiling Marcelle Baum looks directly at the camera as she is photographed outside at the beach. She is wearing sunglasses and a flowery headband and there are spectators sitting on the beach behind her. She looks like she has just been for a swim and is wearing an orange towel robe
Marcelle Baum, who swims most days in the Thames Estuary, described the water as "fantastic" but "definitely a bit dirtier than it used to be"

Bayo Alaba, the Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, described "the beach, the sea, the coastline - it's Southend's superpower so we want to protect it. What we want to do is make sure that the standards are right so we hold to account Anglian Water".

After getting out of the Thames Estuary after a 12-minute swim with seven other local women, Marcelle Baum described the experience in the water at 14C as "fantastic".

"It's very murky today, I don't put my face in," she said. "I stopped swimming for a while - I've noticed it's definitely a bit dirtier than it used to be."

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