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Fury as sludge cloud appears after storm drain release at Essex swimming beach

Release happened at Chalkwell Beach while sailing regatta took place nearby

Barney Davis
Monday 09 September 2024 17:49 EDT
1Comments
Shocking aerial view of brown waste being pumped over Southend beach

A pilot has spoken of his anger at spotting a large brown patch form in the sea where his own children play and swim during the summer holidays after a release by a water company.

Popular Chalkwell Beach in Southend was swamped by an overflow discharge after intense weather battered the UK over the weekend.

Aerial images appear to show a massive pool of dark brown water forming off the coast on Sunday afternoon, where a boating Regatta was being held with children including a scout troop enjoying sailing races, according to locals.

Anglian Water said it was confident the released did not contain sewage, saying it was believed to be formed of silt and debris from a surface water outfall.

Chalkwell is a quiet stretch of sand lying in between the nightclubs, funfairs and casinos of Southend and the historic fishing village of Old Leigh.

A pool of sewage appears to form off Chalkwell
A pool of sewage appears to form off Chalkwell (Mark Hutley)

It has been described as ā€œa perfect spot for a good old fashioned, cheap as chips, bucket and spade holidayā€ by the tourist board.

But Pilot Mark Hutley, who took the images from his light aircraft, told The Independent: ā€œItā€™s the worst I have seen. There was a regatta in the direction this cloud was going, and my own children play on this beach.

ā€œThis is supposed to be a swimming beach.ā€

Chalkwell beach is a popular spot for
Chalkwell beach is a popular spot for (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He added: ā€œIā€™ve been flying for 30 years over Southend and Kent and have never seen anything like it.

ā€œI guess itā€™s normally difficult to see when there are waves but that day it was very still so it really stood out.

ā€œIt needs to stop. My children play there and so many people use the Thames, it just needs to stop. Look at it all on just one day.ā€

Brown water forms over Chalkwell beach
Brown water forms over Chalkwell beach (Mark Hutley)

The Old Leigh Regatta, dating back to the 1880s, was being held at the same time as the discharge featuring sailing races between the Leigh Sailing Club & Essex Yacht Club and maritime demonstrations, tasters and displays, paying homage to the areaā€™s rich fishing and boating legacy.

A second larger discharge was spotted off the Motney Hill Sewage works just a couple of miles away on the same coast.

Shah Haider, 51, formed Southend Against Sewage after a large sinkhole at Southend Sewage Treatment Works damaged the main sewer pipe spraying toilet roll, human waste and sanitary towels everywhere as he swam with his wife in 2021.

He pointed to nearby Thorpe Bay losing its blue flag after an e-Coli outbreak and said he was worried more blue flags would be lost costing tourist-based businesses millions of pounds annually.

Officials are advising swimmers not to enter the water on Monday
Officials are advising swimmers not to enter the water on Monday (Supplied)

He added: ā€œPeople will stop coming here if we are S***end-on-Sea. You canā€™t forget that apart from amusements we have a 60-strong seal colony in the mudflats out at sea. We have seen porpoises washed up dead, we donā€™t know from illness or pollution.ā€

An Anglian Water spokesperson said they had self-reported the discharge to the Environment Agency.

Seagulls feed off a Motney Hill Sewage works discharge at the same time on Sunday
Seagulls feed off a Motney Hill Sewage works discharge at the same time on Sunday (Mark Hutley)

She said: ā€œWe are confident that this was the result of a surface water outflow being triggered in response to the heavy rain and the discolouration is a result of stirred up silt and mud. As this was a modern surface water pipe and not a combined system, this would not contain any sewage.

ā€œOverflows of all kinds are designed to prevent homes and businesses from flooding, and weā€™d expect to see discharges in wet weather like we saw in Southend yesterday (Sunday 8th September). We have spoken to the EA and the local council who confirm there is no evidence of any sewage.ā€

An Environment Agency spokesperson said: ā€œOur officers have investigated and found no evidence of sewage discharges or debris in the area.

ā€œThe discolouration is likely a result of surface water runoff following heavy rainfall.ā€

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