BBC News - North Devon: Sewage spills deterred swimmer from taking a dip
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-68430879
"The beaches and bathing waters in North Devon are cleaner than they have been in many years.
I am pushing for improved data about water quality to ensure we all know when it is safe to swim, surf or paddle board all year round, alongside working with all relevant bodies and groups to try to reduce run off and overflows which may impact beach water quality.
Having more information on storm overflows does not suddenly make our beaches less clean, we just have more information on overflows that have always been happening. What comes out the pipes is significantly cleaner than it was 30 years ago, but at this time no testing of what comes out the pipe is done, although it is always at least 95% rainwater.
We should not let an abundance of sometimes conflicting information damage our reputation as a tourism destination, the home of the only cold water surfing reserve and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. I fear that some politically motivated activists are far too comfortable in talking down our beaches for their own ends. There are community groups working alongside our water company and the Environment Agency to tackle the whole catchment issues which impact on our bathing water – as a very tiny part of the water pollution in North Devon is sewage.
It is important to note, that when it rains there is run off and we do not know what is in that. Most beaches have a river running on to them, which is often, sadly, dirtier than storm overflow water. If you are planning a beach trip, the best source of accurate information about the bathing waters is the Environment Agency's Swimfo website. I am hopeful of securing devices that will allow beach owners to do daily testing as well, whilst not as detailed as what the Environment Agency produce, it would give added reassurance that our beaches in North Devon remain amongst the cleanest in the world."
Selaine Saxby, MP for North Devon
