Sewage pollution has been described as ‘everything we flush down the loo or wash down the drain that is released into the environment through sewer overflows or that washes off the land and roads’
11:08, 18 Jun 2026Updated 11:41, 18 Jun 2026
Limeslade Bay in Mumbles is one of the locations affected(Image: Jonathan Myers)
Sewage discharge has entered the water at 11 beaches or seafront locations across Wales in 48 hours.
Surfers Against Sewage, one of the UK’s most successful marine conservation and campaigning charities, publishes real-time alerts on its website and via its Safer Seas and Rivers Service app, which you can download onto your phone.
Based on alerts from the sensors on combined sewer overflows, which water companies voluntarily provide to the charity, the phone application displays a map showing where and when a sewer discharge has entered the water.
The charity explained how sewage pollution was “everything we flush down the loo or wash down the drain that is released into the environment through sewer overflows or that washes off the land and roads”.
And it adds on its website how pollution “puts water users at risk of contracting harmful illnesses including viruses and antimicrobial resistant bacteria”. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.
Sewage pollution alerts for sewage discharge are currently in place at the following locations according to the app:
Aberafan (discharge on June 17 at 10.45am)River Tawe, Clydach (discharge on June 17 at 4.15am)Swansea Bay (discharge on June 17 at 12..14pm)Bracelet Bay (discharge on June 17 at 8am)Limeslade Bay (discharge on June 17 at 8am)Tenby South (discharge on June 17 at 4.45am)Penally (discharge on June 17 at 4.45am)Barmouth (discharge on June 17 at 4.39am)Craig du Beach Central (discharge on June 16 at 10.30pm)Llyn Padarn (discharge on June 16 at 12.45pm)Llandudno west shore (discharge on June 16 at 9.10pm)
It also advises against bathing at the following locations due to their poor annual classification:
Watch House Bay, BarryOgmore-by-Sea
We reported in May how people gathered at beaches across the nation to protest over sewage pollution levels with Surfers Against Sewage holding six demonstrations in Wales to highlight the “catastrophically failing” water system.
Natural Resources Wales has previously said: “Pollution incidents remain too high and water companies must show a firm grip on performance and deliver sustained reductions in spills.”
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