On Friday, James Wild MP visited Heacham Water Recycling Centre and then South Beach to review issues around bathing water quality and the action being taken to improve our coastal waters and defences.
Weekly Column
On a chilly Friday morning last week, my day of constituency meetings began at Heacham water recycling centre – or sewage works. Not the most glamourous of locations but this was my latest meeting with Anglian Water and the Environment Agency to review issues around bathing water quality at Heacham and the action being taken to improve our coastal waters.
This centre treats wastewater from Heacham and other local areas. As I stood on the gantry at the start of the treatment process the pipe from Hunstanton started flowing. There is then a process including an ultraviolet light disinfection system that kills bacteria and viruses before clear water leaves the site into the River Heacham and out to sea.
Ever since the bathing waters received a poor classification, I have been working with the Environment Agency, Anglian Water, and local councillors on identifying the causes of the rating. As a result, there has been a programme of work including securing additional funding for expert DNA analysis of samples taken during this bathing season; looking at sewers, agricultural land and weather impacts; enforcement visits to local farms to check compliance with environmental rules; taking samples from the River Heacham; and advising home owners on foul connections.
Local people and visitors are rightly concerned about the quality of the water. However, one of the unfortunate pieces of misinformation that has caused concern is that there is a storm overflow at Heacham with foul water being pumped out at times of severe rainfall. There isn’t. Anglian Water also said some claims on social media were based on a total misunderstanding of what is tested for.
It is encouraging that monitoring data shows improved water quality this year and the further analysis and other steps will hopefully help maintain that. However, bathing water classifications are based on 4 years’ worth of data meaning the overall rating will not change.
My next stop was South Beach to talk about coastal erosion and flood defences. Every year there is a beach recycling where material is moved to top up the sand and shingle ridge which provides a natural flood defence to properties, caravans, and agricultural land and has grown higher and wider. However, the Environment Agency pointed out areas where material has been removed from the ridge by property owners as it gets closer to their boundary. This is not allowed without a licence and only increases the risk of flooding properties where it has been excavated from and their neighbours.
A concern locally is the periodic beach recharge project involving bringing new material onto the beach is not happening this year. Although data indicates it is not necessary the Environment Agency also highlighted constraints they consider mean it is undeliverable. That assessment means further work is underway to consider how to protect this part of coastline. It should be a common cause that a managed retreat or loss of land is not acceptable. Standing on the beach looking at homes and land, the Environment Agency assured me they were committed to long term coastal defence measures. They must be.
First published in Lynn News, 3 November 2023
