Information
Sewage treatment explained
UK sewage treatment standards are set by the European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. There are four progressive levels of treatment. In the UK and Secondary treatment or better is now common to almost all communities of more than 2000 people. Tertiary treament is the highest standard.
Preliminary treatment - Grit removal, screening and liquidising. The effluent is then discharged with no reduction in pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
- Primary treatment – 50 - 70% of the suspended solids are removed by settlement. The effluent is then discharged with no reduction in pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
- Secondary treatment - biological purification following primary treatment. Organic matter is digested by micro-organisms, removing 75 -99% of pathogenic bacteria and viruses. The treated liquid is then discharged.
- Tertiary treatment - Disinfection following secondary treatment, commonly by ultraviolet irradiation, chemical disinfection or microfiltration. Removes all remaining pathogenic viruses and 99.9% of bacteria. The treated liquid is then discharged.
MCS advises against swimming in water subject to preliminary and primary sewage discharge. The discharge information for each beach is available in the Good Beach Guide.
The sea & environment standards explained
Water quality standards for the sea are currently set by the European Bathing Water Directive and the Shellfish Waters Directive.
These standards only apply to designated bathing water sites and designated shellfish growing sites, not the whole coastline. There are presently 587 designated bathing water sites in the UK and 241 designated shellfish waters.
In 2015, new water environment standards for the whole coastline will be set by European Water Framework Directive. These standards will be based on the ecology of coastal waters as well as retaining the current criteria for bacteria and viral pollution described in the Bathing Water Directive and the Shellfish Waters Directive.
Investment in sewage clean-up explained
Since 1995, the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive has exerted significant and positive pressure to clean up sewage discharges, and in the last five years the UK has invested £6.47 billion in our sewage infrastructure.
In September 1998, the UK Government announced an ambitious seven year improvement plan to provide secondary sewage treatment as a minimum standard at all treatment works serving communities greater than 2,000 people in England and Wales. In December 2005, it became apparent that this target had been narrowly missed but high levels of investment are on-going. In the period 2005 - 2010, total capital expenditure by water companies in England and Wales will be £16.8 billion, of which £5.5 billion will be spent on environmental and quality improvement schemes.
Public water and sewerage services in Scotland are delivered by Scottish Water, a publicly owned company set up by the Scottish Executive in 2002. The Quality & Standards III capital investment programme will spend £2.15 billion between 2006 and 2010. The Good Beach Guide currently describes 47 Scottish bathing sites subject to raw, preliminary or primary sewage discharges. MCS would like to see these sites improved as a priority
In Northern Ireland, water and sewerage services are delivered by the Northern Ireland Water Service (NIWS). The province is in dire need of investment in its waste water infrastructure. In December 2005, a report issued by the UK Department of the Environment's Northern Ireland Environment and Heritage Service concluded that NIWS was responsible for 23.5% of all water pollution incidents during the previous year. NIWS is now in the process of spending £420 million on wastewater treatment works and sewer network upgrades and benefits are slowly accruing.
What you can do:
- Consult the Good Beach Guide for a list of beaches that MCS recommends for excellent water quality and well treated local sewage discharge (if any).
- Bag It and Bin It - don't drop it and flush it. Careless beach visitors and non-biodegradable items flushed down the toilet are the two biggest sources of beach litter.
- Report sewage accidents to the Environment Agency hotline: 0800 80 70 60
