People warned not to swim in sea at Blackpool after raw sewage leak

A ‘no swim’ message has been enforced at Blackpool Beach, with visitors urged not to take a dip to cool off after a reported sewage leak.

The ‘no swim’ message has been issued for eight beaches along the Fylde coast, in Lancashire. The warning, given on Wednesday June 13th, still remains in place today until further notice.

Despite warnings, it has been reported that almost 50 swimmers were spotted in the water at Blackpool Beach, including a number of children.

Urgent repair works are currently underway to fix the sewage leak at the wastewater treatment works, nearby in Fleetwood. 

A burst pipe has caused untreated water, mixed with rainwater, to be ‘released into the sea’ following thunderstorms on Sunday night.

The pipe carries water to the seas after it has been treated and cleaned but heavy downpours caused the system to reach full capacity after around 40mm or rainwater fell in just a couple of hours.

The treatment plant is now having to run at a reduced rate while engineers carry out emergency repair works on the pipe, which runs approximately nine metres underground.

A spokesperson at United Utilities has said that due to the ‘location and complexity’ of the repair, and to ensure the work is carried out safely, this is ‘expected to take some time’ while engineers install 2,000 metres of temporary pumps and overland pipework.

The water company says it is balancing storage levels in its wastewater network along the Fylde coastline and using tankers to reduce pressure on the site by transporting it to other sites.

Blackpool Council, Fylde Council and Wyre Council are advising that the public should not swim at the following beaches until further notice:

• Bispham
• Blackpool Central
• Blackpool North
• Blackpool South
• Cleveleys beach
• Fleetwood
• St Annes
• St Annes North

Mark Garth, Wastewater Director at United Utilities, said: “This is a very unusual incident and our teams are working around the clock to minimise any impact on the environment.

“The burst occurred on a large pipe which is deep underground, making the repair complex and challenging.

“We are installing temporary overland pipework to bypass the burst pipe so that the treatment plant can continue to operate while the repair work is carried out.

“The reduced capacity at the treatment works and in our network as a result of this burst meant there was less storage available than normal to deal with the heavy rainfall last night.

“This resulted in storm overflows operating. We are working closely with the Environment Agency and local councils as we respond to this.

“Information on all 424 designated bathing water sites and any forecasted drops in water quality are published on the Swimfo: Find a Bathing Water website.

“This provides immediate access to information on every bathing water in England.

“Construction of the temporary overland pipework means that the neighbouring Fleetwood Marsh Nature Reserve is unfortunately closed to the public until further notice and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”