Heacham beach 'may never be safe for swimming', council hears
'Not for bathing' query
IE is the main bacteria causing the problems at Heacham, which is found in human and animal waste and, if ingested, can cause severe stomach upsets.Scientists are yet to gather a full picture of the sources of poor water quality at Heacham, but sewage leaks/outfalls, agricultural run-off and dog waste are all cited as contributing factors.Squire told a full council meeting that seabirds may always cause issues at Heacham."Sooner or later we may have to admit, if 60% of pollution is coming from the bird population, it may be that this area should not be for bathing," she said. While DNA evidence suggests seabirds are a major cause, bacteria levels are highest in July and August, said the Local Democracy Reporting Service.Squire suggested that increase could be due to numerous factors, ranging from increased tourism, less or more rainfall or due to birds breeding.To better understand the problems, she called for year-round testing at Heacham, as currently it is only conducted in the summer months.The meeting heard that Anglian Water has said its sewage works was nearing capacity and would not be able to cope with any more housing development.Squire said: "If Anglian Water said they cannot cope, then nothing else should be connected to that sewage works."We all know what happens when they can't cope - we end up with sewage in our streets, our rivers and seas."The Environment Agency told the BBC: "Pollution comes in many forms and from multiple sources, and the Environment Agency will continue to investigate poor water quality."
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