As the school summer holidays are in full swing, many of the UK’s beloved seaside spots are facing significant sewage pollution. In just the last 48 hours, untreated sewage has been released into the sea at 139 coastal locations across the country, raising health concerns and prompting warnings for beach visitors. Heavy rainfall over the weekend caused stormwater systems to overflow, discharging raw sewage onto the shore.
Popular areas that have been impacted include beaches in Cornwall, Kent and Sussex. From 11am on Saturday to the same time on Monday, 4,573 storm overflow events were recorded, with 139 of these releasing into coastal waters around resorts including Salcombe, St Leonards-on-Sea and Herne Bay.
County Durham recorded 323 overflows, North Yorkshire had 305, and Leeds had 145, The Telegraph reported, using data from Stream, a collaboration between UK water companies and various partners focused on using water data to support customers, communities and environmental goals.
Kent has also been hit hard after a weekend of heavy rain and thunderstorms, triggering multiple Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) along the coast.
These releases, which mix rainwater and sewage, are intended to reduce flood risk but have led to pollution warnings at nine of Kent’s beaches, including Whitstable, Folkestone, Ramsgate, and Herne Bay.
The Environment Agency’s advice not to bathe has now been lifted , Tuesday July 22, at West Bay, Westgate-on-Sea, and Margate Fulsam Rock.
Councillor Mike Garner, Mayor of Broadstairs, told BBC Radio Kent: “It can have a potentially serious impact because it puts day trippers off from visiting and the businesses can’t rely on a regular flow of tourists.
“It makes it very difficult for them to run a business, especially those that are directly linked to the beach like the cafes and the surf school, which is on the beach.”
The dirtiest beaches in the UK have recently been named. Kent and Somerset have the highest number of brown-flagged beaches, while Lancashire ranks worst overall.
The number of brown-flagged beaches rose from 13 in 2024 to 19 in 2025. Lancashire scored worst in regional ratings, with no beaches rated “excellent.”