Warning not to swim in sea after sewage discharged at several Welsh beaches

WS050922 SAS MAP HERO
Surfers Against Sewage posted a map image showing where its water monitoring service had discovered issues with water quality Credit: Surfers Against Sewage

There is a warning to avoid swimming in the sea at several Welsh beaches due to reduced water quality and sewage recently being discharged into the water.

The warning was issued by the Safer Seas & Rivers Service, which monitors water quality at over 400 locations around the UK rivers and coastlines.

They cover six beaches: Newport North, Poppit West, Llangrannog, Traeth Gywn New Quay, Aberystwyth South and Aberdyfi.

Newport North

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Newport North is a wide, sweeping and sandy beach measuring some 1.5 km in length. Facing north west out into the Irish Sea, the beach is backed by a golf club and agricultural land.

A relatively new sewage treatment works discharges biologically treated sewage effluent via the long sea outfall, some 700m from the coast into Newport Bay.

Warning not to swim after sewage released at four Welsh beaches

Poppit West

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Measuring approximately 600m in length, this north west facing bay is backed by sand dunes and is divided by the River Teifi, which flows onto the beach. Discharges from sewer overflows can occur in the area and affect water quality especially after heavy rainfall.

Llangrannog

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Measuring just over 100 metres in width, with interbedded mudstone and sandstone cliffs on either side, the sandy, sheltered beach has a distinctive large rock on the shore's edge.

Traeth Gwyn New Quay

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Facing north and located within the waters of Cardigan Bay, Traeth Gwyn is a sandy cove, backed by steep cliffs. Traeth Gwyn is potentially impacted by numerous sewer and surface water outfalls within the main freshwater rivers particularly during heavy rainfall.

Aberystwyth South

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

A sheltered, sloping sand and shingle beach in the middle of Cardigan Bay. The beach is 350m wide, bound between the castle and harbour breakwater. The beach is backed by the town.

Aberdyfi

Pollution Risk Warning: Bathing not advised today due to the likelihood of reduced water quality.

Aberdyfi is a sandy beach stretching over three miles located at the mouth of the River Dyfi.

Sailing and windsurfing are popular but swimmers should be aware of strong currents here due to the Dyfi estuary outflow. There is a Combined Sewage Overflow in the town centre, with an emergency overflow into the Dyfi Estuary, close to the jetty.

Surfers Against Sewage said storm sewage had been discharged into the beach's water in the last 48 hours Credit: PA Images

Barafundle

Surfers Against Sewage said sewage had been discharged into the beach's water in the last 48 hours. The bay is owned by the National Trust and forms part of the Pembrokeshire Marine Special Area of Conservation.

Castle Beach Tenby

Issuing a pollution alert, SAS said storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.