Campaign group issues pollution alert for Beadnell

The warning states that storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow at Beadnell within the past 48 hours.

It follows a period of rain in north Northumberland, with weather apps stating that 21mm of rain has fallen in the area in the past 24 hours, with more expected on Friday.

Northumbrian Water’s website states that the annual bathing water quality results for Beadnell in 2022 were “good” – down from “excellent”, which it had been rated between 2018 and 2021. The company say that this means the water “complies with high standards”.

Responding to the discharge, a spokesperson for Northumbrian Water said: “At times of intense heavy rainfall, like the conditions we saw on Monday, our networks often work at capacity to protect customers’ homes, businesses and the region’s infrastructure from storm and surface water.

“During and after these rainfall conditions, our underground storm systems manage the excess rainwater, which sometimes activate an overflow as a relief valve on the sewer network. The overflow will discharge, what is mostly rainwater, mixed with a small amount of content from our sewer network.

“All water companies use overflows to help protect against sewers flooding into properties. Such discharges happen with both permission and scrutiny from the Environment Agency.

“We have invested heavily in upgrades to our wastewater network in the last two decades and beyond, investing £100m in this area alone. In our 2020-25 plan we outlined £80m of investment towards improvements related to storm overflows, this work will continue as one of our business priorities and larger investments again are planned from 2025 onward.”

Cllr Guy Renner Thompson, local ward member, said: “I have asked for more information because I think this is the second time Beadnell has appeared on Surfers Against Sewage. The water infrastructure needs to be updated – it does.

“It is certainly an issue in the summer when all of the holiday lets are full. In Seahouses at the height of summer, when all the holiday lets are full people actually lose water pressure in their homes.

“It needs investigating, and it is something the council is happy to work with Northumbrian Water on.”