Sewage Risk Data Gap

We recently submitted an Environmental Information Regulations request to the Environment Agency asking for internal reports or briefings about the potential public health risks of sewage discharges affecting bathing waters.

The response said the information is not held, explaining that the Environment Agency does not have a public health remit in relation to bathing waters.

However, our request also asked about monitoring of E. coli and intestinal enterococci — the bacteria used to measure sewage contamination.

E. coli has also been widely reported as a suspected factor in the death of Heather Preen, a child who became ill after playing on the beach at Dawlish Warren, a case highlighted in the Channel 4 documentary Dirty Business.

The Environment Agency does monitor these bacteria through the national bathing water monitoring programme.

Instead of providing internal documents, I was directed to a public dataset on bathing water quality.

So the environmental monitoring exists.

But according to the response, the agency does not hold the public health information I requested.

Which raises an obvious question: if one body monitors sewage pollution and another assesses health risks, where exactly do those responsibilities meet?