Surf's Up! Northern Ireland's Beaches Fouled With Sewage Sludge - BBC

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It has hit ice-cream makers, swamped home-owners and soured the cider market, now Northern Ireland's washout summer has landed right on its beaches. The summer of sludge has left the shifting sands dirtier than ever with raw sewage found on clean beaches.

A Marine Conservation Society report said Newcastle, Ballyholme and Carnlough have missed EU standards. It says storms swept raw sewage and rubbish out to sea and then back onto the sand.

For a beach to fail it must have more than one of the 10 water samples not reaching EC mandatory standards for total coliform and faecal coliform bacteria. MCS has said the government must provide information on bathing beaches advising swimmers that coastal waters can be temporarily affected by increased pollution, with a consequent risk to bathers' health, after heavy rain.

It says the sewer system needs to be expanded to handle large volumes of storm water, and failing sewer outfalls have to be improved.

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6962078.stm