THE TIDE TURNS ON OUR BEACHES  

THREE OUT OF EVERY FOUR ARE SEWAGE-POLLUTED AND MOST ARE IN THE NORTH WHERE TRIPS TO THE SEASIDE BEGAN.....

The North-South divide is widening, and all because of our beaches. Almost 90 per cent of the 180 British sands that passed tough water quality standards in a guide just published are in Southern England, Wales and the Channel Islands. Yet in Scotland just 8 out of 93 beaches have clean bathing water and in the North-west of England -which pioneered seaside holidays in this country - not a single beach is recommended along the 100 mile stretch between Cumbria and the Wirral.

Overall, more than three out of four of Britains' 737 bathing beaches have "completely unacceptable" levels of sewage pollution, according to the Good Beach Guide 1999.

Chris Davis, coastal pollution officer of the Marine Conservation Society, which issued the report, said: "It's ironic that the resorts where people spent their childhood on beaches are the worst offenders - and it's getting worse."  During last years' inquiries for the 1999 guide, the number of beaches in Scotland and the North of England that failed European water standards increased from 50 to 64, while in Wales and the South the figure dropped from 62 to 42. Experts blame antiquated Victorian sewage works, still pumping raw human waste into the sea off many northern resorts, and a wetter climate. Mr Davis said: "Prolonged heavy rainfall causes the outflow pipes at sewage treatment works to overfill. It also prompts a run-off of agricultural chemicals into the sea." He warned that unless the water quality at traditional resorts like Morecambe quickly improved, it would tempt millions more holidaymakers abroad, with a better chance of sun and clean sea. Other famous failures include Blackpool, which still attracts six million visitors a year, nearby St Anne's as well as Girvan in Ayrshire and Tyneside's South Shields beach. The handful of well-known beaches in the South of England to have unsafe bathing water include Brighton and Folkestone.

Of the 505 beaches analysed in Wales, the Channel Islands and the South of England, a record 160 passed in the last year, compared with just 20 out of the 232 investigated in Scotland, the Isle of Man and the North of England. The best are in the South-west, where 68 were given star ratings. St Ives, Woolacombe and Bournemouth came top. But the number of beaches recommended as having clean water did increase by 57 per cent as water companies investment on new sewage plants began to make a difference. Water UK said companies were investing more than £3 billion in schemes to comply with existing European directives, and added that this summer holidaymakers would benefit from new schemes worth more than £200million. The Marine Conservation Society said it would keep pressing for changes to the 23-year-old bathing directive that does not have to tell swimmers which beaches are clean. The society only recommends beaches if it finds no bacteria present and if local water companies do not allow raw sewage into the sea. Mr Davis said: "We remain extremely concerned about the number of beaches failing even the most basic of water quality standards."

MESSAGE SLOWLY FILTERS THROUGH ... A few more scientific facts.

If you fancy a swim and are wondering whether the water is clean, you could do worse than look out for seagulls. A large flock of these floating a few hundred yards offshore is a sign that you should probably head elsewhere. Seagulls feed on raw sewage and their presence in large numbers indicates that an outfall pipe lurks under water.

For a more scientific assessment of Britains' water quality, look at this years edition of the Good Beach Buide, published by the Marine Conservation Society. This provides good and bad news for swimmers, surfers and snorkellers. The good news is that, generally speak, the clean water message is getting through. Back in the Eighties, Margaret Thatcher was famously quoted as stating that there was "no raw sewage" discharged into British waters - either a straight lie or demonstration of woeful ignorance. According to the MCS, the Tory government did everything in its power to duck and dive when it came to the new European pollution laws. Failing to declare popular strands as "bathing beaches" was its favourite trick.

In recent years the situation has greatly improved, especially in the South. In the survey of 737 beaches, nearly a quarter met the most stringent criteria. This may sound bad but it is double the number 10 years ago. But it is grim news in the North. Once again, not a single beach in the English North-west has made it into the guide. Great seaside resorts such as Blackpool, Southport and Morecambe still have startlingly high levels of bugs in the water. Water quality is declining in the North-east, and even more so in Scotland. What are we to make of this? Generally, cleaning up beaches takes a lot of time, effort and especially money. In the South-west, the water companies have spent millions on new secondary treatment schemes, which disinfect any discharge into the sea or rivers. Many people in the area depend on tourism and they have put pressure on the councils, which in turn have pressured water companies, like South-West Water, to clean up their act. The price is borne by the consumer, with water bills in Devon and Cornwall the highest in the country. In the North there is far less pressure from tourism. Few people go to Blackpool to swim in the sea any more. It is too cold for many, and the resorts long-standing filthy reputation means amenities are aimed at landlubbers.

There is also a class issue. The South-west sees millions of well-heeled families every summer and they will simply head off to Brittany or Ireland if they find filthy seas. The area also attracts thousands of surfers, who form a vocal anti-pollution pressure group and are often associated with environmental concerns. The North has geographical problems that make it difficult to clean up the sea.   Because it rains more, there is extra pressure on the storm sewer system. This also feels the added strain of a changing weather pattern which has seen periods of summer drought interspersed with short downpours in the past 20 years.

There are more rivers - historically used as sewage channels - and the north English coastline is also dotted with huge conurbations such as Newcastle, Liverpool and Hull, which have antiquated Victorian sewage networks. The guide lists all the British beaches which have passed the MCS's recommended guidelines for bacteria. Three micro-organisms are tested for: coliforms, faecal streptococci and a total coliform count. To get in the guide, levels of these germs must be 20 times lower than the mandatory European-set limits and those set by the Tidy Britain Group for their Seaside Awards. At present, viruses are not tested for, and the MCS suspects that many of the most severe infections - particularly those affecting throats and ears - reported by swimmers and surfers may be viral in origin. However, they are confident that a low bateria count probably means a low virus count too. Chemical pollution is not tackled either, not because of complacency but because testing for each of the tens of thousands of chemicals discharged into the water would be impossible. And, as the guide stresses, hundreds of Britains'  most remote - and probably cleanest - beaches are not tested. Swimmers in the Hebrides need worry only about the cold, not the bugs.

The Good Beach Guide is available on-line at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk       

CONCERNED ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENT? 

DAILY EXPRESS OPINION: It is a disgrace that our chance of enjoying clean beaches depends on how much money we have. The figures published by the Marine Conservation Society come down to this: if you are wealthy or middle class you are much more likely to have local beaches which are safe for swimming - or to visit areas which can boast them. The middle classes who holiday on the South Coast have the choice of going to France instead, which was what forced Cornwall to clean up its act in the past decade. Those who holiday in Blackpool are not so fortunate, and in areas like the Channel Islands, a wealthy population is prepared to foot the bill to clean up the beaches; not so in poorer regions of Britain. In the North-west and Scotland, large coastal towns like Liverpool and Aberdeen have Victorian drainage systems which discharge sewage into the sea.

Thankfully, the Government - in stark contrast to the previous one - is taking a lead in resolving the problem. It has promised to force the privatised water companies to carry out £8.4billion of repairs in the next six years to clean up rivers and coasts. Ministers believe the water companies can do this without raising bills; Ofwat must ensure they do.   Everybody - no matter where they live - is entitled to clean water.

THE BEST OF BRITISH.. SOME HOLIDAY IDEAS.. but check the above first!!!

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24/03/01