Dozens of swimmers have taken a dip in the sea at Blackpool despite being urged not to following a sewage leak. A 'no swim' warning has been issued for eight beaches on the Fylde coast, in Lancashire, including the famous resort town.
The warning was given yesterday (June 13) and remains in place today, but almost 50 swimmers were spotted in the water at Blackpool this morning. They included a number of children, Lancs Live reports.
Urgent repair works are currently taking place after a pipe burst at the wastewater treatment works in nearby Fleetwood. Untreated water mixed with rainwater was 'released into the sea' following thunderstorms on Sunday night.
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The pipe usually carries water to the sea after it has been treated and cleaned, but the system reached full capacity when almost 40mm of rain fell in around two hours. Blackpool's entire seafront is included in the 'no swim' warning.
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 at United Utilities say due to the 'location and complexity' of the repair, and to ensure the work is carried out safely, this is 'expected to take some time' while engineers install 2,000 metres of temporary pumps and overland pipework.
United Utilities says it is 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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