Environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey has said reports of faulty data on sewage levels in UK seas show the “extraordinary state of chaos” in the water industry.
Last week, data showing the amount of sewage reaching the UK coast were published, with campaigners demanding action over the state of seas at the height of the summer season.
Now, reports claim monitors being used for measuring the amount of sewage being pumped into the sea are defective.
The government has described the practice as "completely unacceptable" and said water companies were already facing legal action from regulators - but the opposition said more should be done.
It was as Surfers Against Sewage released further sewage pollution warnings for beaches in Cornwall - see the full list below.
READ MORE: Sewage pollution alert at beach in Cornwall: Gyllngvase, Falmouth
READ MORE: Interactive map shows sewage released near 7 Cornwall beaches
Feargal Sharkey speaks out about sewage in seas
Mr Sharkey, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against the practice of sewage pumping, told BBC Breakfast on Monday: “It appeared yesterday that over the last six years water companies have now spent almost nine and a half million hours dumping sewage into the environment.
“And if the data is as faulty as it seems, that number could be a multiple of that by another multiplier of your choosing.
“It’s just a desperate sign of the extraordinary state of chaos that this industry as managed to get itself into.”
He added: “I’m afraid what you’re looking at is simply the result of 30 years of underinvestment by the water industry, 30 years of profiteering, 30 years of regulatory failure, and 30 years of a vacuum of political oversight and Government failing to take proper control for this industry.”
Government says failure of water companies is “completely unacceptable”
Downing Street said water firms had a duty to put “customers before shareholders” and should reduce sewage discharges.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: “We have been clear that the failure of water companies to adequately reduce sewage discharges is completely unacceptable.”
They said monitoring of the situation had been increased and that water companies were already facing legal action from regulators.
But Sir Keir Starmer says the Government “hasn’t been tough enough” on water firms.
The Labour leader accused the Government of having its head in the sand over the scale of sewage being pumped into British waterways.
He said the Government had not been tough enough on water companies and had been cutting the funding of the Environment Agency.
“I think there is huge anger about the sewage situation, because we’re seeing yet again sewage pumped into our rivers and into our seas,” he said.
“What it shows is that the Government hasn’t been tough enough on the water companies and the enforcement against the water companies.”
Latest sewage pollution warnings for Cornwall
An interactive map created by the environmental campaign group, Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), shows the places in Cornwall polluted in the 48 hours up to Monday afternoon.
Long Rock, West Cornwall
Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Within the catchment area of Heliport beach there is a sewer overflow that discharges into the Ponsdale Brook, 130m upstream of the beach, three that discharge into Trevaylor Stream and four more sewer overflows that discharge into the sea east and west of the beach.
Gyllyngvase Beach, Falmouth
Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
Although no sewer overflows discharge directly onto Gyllyngvase, bathing water may be affected by a nearby overflow some 400m to the southwest of the beach. Other discharges into the Fal River may also have an effect here, along with diffuse pollution.
Millendreath, Looe
Pollution Alert: Storm sewage has been discharged from a sewer overflow in this location within the past 48 hours.
A sewer overflow from the Plaidy pumping station discharges off the rocks to the West of the beach and another from the urban area can discharge through the stream.
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