SEWAGE has been released into the sea at seven beaches across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole for the second time in a week.
An interactive map from Surfers Against Sewage, a marine conservation charity, showed sewage has been discharged at Poole Harbour Rockley Sands, Poole Harbour Shore Road, Poole Shore Road Beach, Bournemouth beach, Hengistbury West, Christchurch Avon Beach, Friars Cliff, Christchurch.
The map highlighted all locations as a potential pollution risk, and has had a sewer overflow within the past 48 hours.
The discharge follows a period of heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across Dorset.
Yesterday, the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in the BCP area, which was in place from 8pm Thursday until 6am today.
READ MORE: Met Office yellow weather warning for thunderstorms in BCP
Wessex Water says that the overflows are necessary to protect properties from flooding and to prevent sewage from overflowing into streets and homes.
As previously reported, a spokesperson for the water company said: “Storm overflows are permitted by the Environment Agency and operate automatically, releasing mostly stormwater during or after intense rainfall to prevent flooding in people’s homes.
“Wessex Water is the only UK water and sewerage company to provide overflow discharge alerts 365 days a year, with complete coverage of all bathing waters in our area, and we notify Surfers Against Sewage ourselves.
“Every month we’re investing £3 million on storm overflows, starting with those that discharge most frequently or have any environmental impact.”
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