Spend water company profits to stop sewage outflow, says Cromer surfer

Water companies should spend their profits on alternatives to discharging sewage into the sea, a surfer has said.

Nick Huttley, from Cromer in Norfolk, said the smell and taste of the sea after a discharge is "disgusting" and can make people ill "quite easily".

Anglian Water increased its sewer overflow discharges from 45 in 2019/20 to 49 in 2020/21, a report has said.

It said it accepts the current system is "not fit for purpose, but they are for now a necessary safety valve".

The annual report from campaign group Surfers against Sewage revealed one in six days of the official bathing season (May to September) was "unswimmable" because of sewage pollution near beaches.

Chief executive officer Hugo Tagholm said increased population and people putting things down toilets that blocked them were issues.

He added: "It is up to the water companies to invest adequately and tackle and maintain their sewage system."

Sewage overflows are designed to protect homes and businesses from flooding and are permitted by law.

Mr Huttley, chairman of the North Norfolk Surf Life Saving Club, said: "I think the worst thing for Anglian Water over the last 12 months is the number of discharges has gone up from the previous year," he said.

"It's been really busy up here due to Covid and travel restrictions, so to see the number of discharges go up is not good."

The new Environment Act will require water companies to now have to report their sewage discharges all year round, instead of just during the swimming season.

In a statement Anglian Water said: "We completely accept combined storm overflows are not fit for purpose, but they are for now a necessary safety valve.

"The solutions to remove them are not straight forward and the cost is significant, estimated to be over £1bn."

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