A 'don't swim or bathe' warning has been issued for EIGHT popular beaches in Lancashire after storms on Monday night led to a raw sewage leak. They include all three major Blackpool beaches and the coastline at Lytham St Annes.
Council bosses confirmed a 'pollution incident' and said due to last night's storms, untreated sewage, mixed with rainwater, was released into the sea after an underground pipe burst.
They are also advising the public to keep all animals out of the sea, as June temperatures across the north west continue to soar.
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United Utilities, meanwhile, spoke of a 'very unusual incident' and said teams were 'working around the clock to minimise any impact on the environment', reports Lancs Live.
UU was today carrying out urgent repair work to the burst pipe at Fleetwood wastewater treatment works which carries water after it has been treated and cleaned out to the sea.
They said 'unfortunately' as a result of last night's thunderstorms that saw nearly 40mm of rain fall in around two hours, the system temporarily reached full capacity at sites in Blackpool and untreated sewage, mixed with rainwater, was 'released into the sea'.
The treatment works is now running at a reduced rate while engineers plan and carry out the repair work to the pipe, which lies nine metres underground. Bosses say due to the 'location and complexity' of the repair, and to ensure the work is carried out safely, it is 'expected to take some time' while engineers install 2,000 metres of temporary pumps and overland pipework.
United Utilities said it was balancing storage levels in the wastewater network along the Fylde Coast and using tankers around the clock to help reduce pressure on the site by transporting wastewater to other treatment sites. Blackpool Council, Fylde Council and Wyre Council are advising that the public should not swim at the following beaches until further notice:
- Bispham
- Blackpool Central
- Blackpool North
- Blackpool South
- Cleveleys beach
- Fleetwood
- St Annes
- St Annes North
Mark Garth, Wastewater Director at United Utilities, said: "This is a very unusual incident and our teams are working around the clock to minimise any impact on the environment. The burst occurred on a large pipe which is deep underground, making the repair complex and challenging.
"We are installing temporary overland pipework to bypass the burst pipe so that the treatment plant can continue to operate while the repair work is carried out. The reduced capacity at the treatment works and in our network as a result of this burst meant there was less storage available than normal to deal with the heavy rainfall last night.
"This resulted in storm overflows operating. We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local councils as we respond to this.
"Information on all 424 designated bathing water sites and any forecasted drops in water quality are published on the Swimfo: Find a Bathing Water website. This provides immediate access to information on every bathing water in England.
"Construction of the temporary overland pipework means that the neighbouring Fleetwood Marsh Nature Reserve is unfortunately closed to the public until further notice and we apologise for any inconvenience caused."
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