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'People are getting ill from sewage in the sea'

BBC Kitesurfer Adrian Cooke on the beach at Fraisthorpe, with the blue sea and sky in the background. He has light brown hair and a white beard, and wears a dark blue wetsuit.BBC
Adrian Cooke, of the Fraisthorpe Kitesurfing Group, believes sewage discharges are a public health hazard

Kitesurfers on Yorkshire's east coast say the water quality is so poor that "people are getting ill".

Adrian Cooke uses Fraisthorpe and Bridlington beaches for the sport and believes sewage pollution has become a public health hazard.

Yorkshire Water operates several overflow pipes along the coast and is legally permitted to discharge sewage into the North Sea during heavy rainfall.

The Yorkshire Bathing Water Partnership said it had carried out an initial investigation and was working "as a matter of urgency to ensure the community gets the beach environment it deserves".

The partnership, which includes Yorkshire Water, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and the Environment Agency, said the "predominant bacteria" it had found had come from birds.

It said 230 water and 48 sand samples had been collected and analysed between July and September.

The partnership said: "A number of actions are already under consideration including management of beach washups, such as seaweed and shellfish, as well as an assessment of water company storm overflows."

A kitesurfer in a black wetsuit leans back as he controls a black kite, which is rising from the beach, with the sea in the background
Kitesurfers regularly use the beaches at Fraisthorpe and Bridlington

The concerns came as Ofwat, the water watchdog, published its annual performance report into water companies around the UK.

The report said Yorkshire Water would pay back £36m to customers as a result of poor performance on pollution leaks and customer satisfaction.

In response, a Yorkshire Water spokesperson said "making long-term, lasting change takes time" and the company was "committed to doing right by our customers".

They added: "We are in the process of investing almost £800m in our infrastructure across the region this year, which includes £180m to reduce storm overflow use and improve water quality."

Mr Cooke said he had become very concerned about sea pollution.

"I can't ascribe it [illness] directly to water quality, but I know that there have been times when we have been out and we know that water quality is bad and we have been ill," he said.

Liquid pours from a thick, black sewage overflow pipe which stands above a choppy-looking grey sea.
A typical combined sewage overflow pipe, also known as a CSO

His son Toby, who is a British kitesurfing champion, added: "We were kiteboarding up the coast recently and there was a scum in the water. I put my kiteboard in it and everyone said 'whoa! don't do that'."

Water companies have previously said that they need to discharge sewage at sea and in rivers during times of heavy rainfall.

They have argued that this is necessary to relieve pressure on the sewage system and prevent sewage backing up into homes and businesses.

The pipes are known as combined sewage overflows, or CSOs, and it is not illegal for water companies to use them during periods of wet weather.

A kitesurfer leans back into a wave off the beach at Fraisthorpe, East Yorkshire. The white cliffs of Flamborough Head can be seen in the background.
Toby Cooke kitesurfing in Bridlington bay

Hornsea has had 18 sewage discharge alerts from Yorkshire Water so far this year.

One visitor to the town's seafront on Monday said the water companies needed to "sort their stuff out". Steve Mays called for more legislation to resolve the issue.

But another visitor to the promenade, Norman Anderson, said he thought Yorkshire Water was doing a good job.

"The water quality is clean, the local authority keep dogs off the beach in summer... I think a lot of people get in a state where it's not necessary," he added.

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