United Utilities responds after sewage warning issued for Walney coast
United Utilities has issued a statement after an app warned people against bathing at Sandy Gap on Walney during last week’s heatwave.
Screenshots from the Safer Seas & Rivers Service app showed an alert for the area on Friday, June 26.
The warning said bathing was not advised because of pollution linked to sewage.
No overflow at Sandy Gap
It is understood that there is no combined sewer overflow at Sandy Gap itself.
However, United Utilities has two combined sewer overflows elsewhere on Walney.
A source at the water company said neither of those overflows discharged on June 26.
The company did confirm that some assets in the wider Barrow area operated for a short time following heavy rain.
Heavy rain caused some overflows to operate
United Utilities said intense rainfall on the Friday morning led to some storm overflows working as designed.
A spokesperson said the system is used to reduce the risk of flooding to homes and businesses when the sewer network comes under pressure.
Storm overflows release excess rainwater and wastewater into rivers or the sea during periods of heavy rain.
The company said it understood concerns about their use.
£100m investment planned
United Utilities said it is carrying out a major upgrade of the local wastewater network.
The work includes £100 million of investment to improve 21 storm overflows across nine locations in the area.
The company said the upgrades should help reduce the number of spills and improve water quality in the Walney Channel, Irish Sea and Morecambe Bay.
The alert at Sandy Gap was raised during a period of hot weather, when more people were likely to be visiting the coast and entering the water.
