Smalltown Beach is famous for its long stretches of golden sand and mud which run from the mouth of the River Brewer, through Barrow and down to Bream, a natural attraction which helps make the town a popular destination for holidaymakers.
Who doesn’t have idyllic memories of a childhood holiday at the seaside and spending time at the beach building sandcastles, paddling and swimming in the sea? But is that water as wonderful as its azure blue colour suggests?
According to the Agency for the Environment and Some Other Places (AESOP) the answer is no. Smalltown Beach is one of two beaches in Somerset which has failed their water quality checks.
In fact, the water quality around the jetty at Smalltown Beach is so poor that AESOP say their advice is that no one should set foot in the water there without first donning personal protective equipment.
A spokestap for AESOP said “Smalltown Beach has failed our water quality checks for five years running and it is no longer designated as a bathing place under the Bath Water Act 1867, Chapter 46, sub-section 82G, paragraph 94.
We would advise anyone considering dipping even a toe in the water to think again. They may find their toe missing when they withdraw the foot from the water.”
AESOP says the problem is due to Smalltown’s location near the mouths of two rivers – the Brew and the Toucan, both of which are victims of the latest Government policy to discharge dirty water into Britain’s waterways, rather than insist the water boards spend money on cleaning the water up beforehand.
The All-New-Yet-Unimproved Somerset Cuonty Council has confirmed that it plans to install new signs along Smalltown Seafront advising residents and visitors of the issue.
AESOP added “The moral of this story is that you can’t expect people to swim in sewage without contracting a serious illness.”