Swimmers left 'disgusted and furious' were forced to cancel their club session after reports of sewage discharges into the sea off a Blue Flag beach.
Elizabeth Mills, who runs East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club, cancelled the group’s weekly session at Shore Road in Poole after reports of “brown sludge” in the sea.
She said: “There were nine separate discharges of sewage pumped into the swimming club's usual swimming spot.
“Each sewage dump was one to five minutes long, totally 30 minutes of sewage going straight into the sea.”
Despite rainfall on Tuesday, September 9, Elizabeth said there was “no excuse” for the discharges, which she said left “visible large patches of brown in the water”.
She said: “The actions of Wessex Water to dump sewage after rainfall is completely unacceptable.
“It poses a danger to people's health and to wildlife, pollutes the ocean, and prevents people from carrying out their usual recreational activities, such as swimming.
“Shore Road is officially a Blue Flag beach, yet sewage has been dumped in the sea here for the second time in less than two weeks.”
The East Dorset Open Water Swimming Club has more than 138 members who were unable to enter the water.
Elizabeth said the sea was “flat and calm” at 6pm – the time the swimmers had been due to enter.
She added: “It is disgusting that the water companies are allowed to dump sewage into our beautiful beaches. I'm furious.
“This reckless behaviour from the water companies has to stop!”
The swimming coach has urged the public to hold water companies to account and lobby the Government to prevent further incidents of water pollution.
She said: “If you find the behaviour of the water companies completely unacceptable, please download the Surfers Against Sewage app, where you can help to take action by writing letters to our MP and the water companies.”
In Christchurch, two children have been hospitalised with serious infections after swimming in the harbour and at Avon Beach, amid volunteer tests showing E. coli levels more than 300 times the safe limit for bathing.
A Wessex Water spokesperson said: “While licensed overflows discharge mostly rainwater and groundwater, we agree they are outdated and we’re spending more than £8 million every month on schemes to reduce how often they operate in our region.
“Meanwhile, record investment in sewage treatment and infrastructure – including a programme of sewer relining in Shore Road this summer – is further safeguarding our region’s excellent beaches.
“More widely, we believe rainwater should be better managed and returned to the environment close to where it falls rather than draining into sewers.
"Alongside our ongoing investment, this requires the political understanding and will to bring forward policies in government that that promote best practice in rainwater management at source.”
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