BUDE Cleaner Seas Project has pledged its support to a bill put forward to Parliament recently, aiming to monitor water quality and giving the Environment Agency more power on combined sewer overflows.

Conservative MP for North Cornwall, Scott Mann, presented the bathing water bill to his fellow MPs at a recent hearing at Parliament. He explained that the bathing water bill would give the Environment Agency ‘additional powers to control and reduce the discharges of combined sewer overflows’, and to make further provision for bathing water quality and beach clean initiatives.

Mr Mann told his peers that bathing water is very important to the North Cornwall constituency, the beaches and waters being one of the main reasons why people come to visit the area. Although North Cornwall has ‘some of the most beautiful blue flag beaches in the UK’, the area still faces a significant problem, MPs heard.

Mr Mann explained that a Victorian sewer system exists in North Cornwall, meaning it is ‘completely incapable’ of dealing with the torrential rain that the area endures. He said: “When we have big downpours, the sewers simply cannot cope with the situation where water companies flush excess water and sewage water into the sea.”

Currently, the Environment Agency publishes ‘extensive data on individual bathing waters’ on their website, showing the pressures that many sewage systems face. Through this, people are able to report on water events, however Mr Mann said that 77% of these events do not result in a follow-up.

MPs heard that the proposed bill would allow the Environment Agency to fine water companies that allow spillages into the seas, with the money used in three ways — providing farmers with an opportunity to store water, create more lakes and reservoirs and in areas where there are more severe problems, water companies would provide free water for water butts to local residents. Additionally, the bill would require the Environment Agency to monitor water quality all year round, rather than just the summer months.

Locally, Mr Mann said that Widemouth Bay has had three spills this year, and five last year; whilst Summerleaze beach in Bude has had four spills this year, and 15 last year.

Among a long list of supporters for this bill are Surfers Against Sewage, the Angling Trust, who claim that 89% of sewage overflows end up in the rivers, Polzeath Marine Society and Bude Cleaner Seas Project, who have been campaigning for environmental protection around the coast and high quality local bathing waters.

Mr Mann said that although he respects the current work being undertaken, he believes this can go further, adding that it is time to ‘address the problems that exist and have existed a long time in North Cornwall’.

What are your thoughts on the bill? Email [email protected]