A beautiful seaside town has been investigated after a sewage leak spills into the water.
East Runton, a beach in North Norfolk, was contaminated by a sewage spill thought to be caused by a storm overflow drainpipe.
This comes just a month after the popular beach regained its Blue Flag status having lost it in 2022 following downgrades to the quality of the water.
Yesterday, North Norfolk District Council issued a warning to the public to avoid the area, saying: “The council is advising all walkers, dog walkers, and swimmers to stay away from the beach following a recent sewage leak.”
The Environment Agency carried out tests and monitored sewage on the beach, working alongside the council to assess the impact.
A spokesperson for Anglian Water said the company was assisting the Environment Agency in “identifying the source of a discharge on East Runton beach”.
The beach is owned by the council but it said it was not responsible for the overflow pipe, a possible source of the sewage.
“Our investigations found a minor sewer collapse and blockage on Felbrigg Road, further upstream,” Anglian Water said. “All of our tests have shown that this has had no impact on the beach itself.
“The blockage has been cleared, and our teams repaired the pipe last night. Further investigations to identify the source will continue.”
North Norfolk District Council reopened the beach today, saying: “The Environment Agency has given the all-clear for safe bathing and beach activities. Residents and visitors can once again visit this beautiful Blue Flag beach.”
East Runton recently topped a list of the cleanest beaches for swimming in Norfolk, being rated “excellent” by the Environment Agency for water quality.
A surfer at East Runton, called Mark, told the BBC: “It’s quite concerning, obviously. Going into the water isn’t great with raw sewage in there. I used to be a member of Surfers Against Sewage, it’s a consideration every time you go.
“Years ago I got very ill from surfing in the sea and that’s obviously through what was in there, and you could see raw sewage floating in there. Recently it’s been OK.”
