JULIA WILL MEET WATER CHIEFS TO DISCUSS POLLUTION OF CORNISH BEACHES

10.15.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 19th Oct 2009

Julia is set to meet South West Water, the Environment Agency and Cornwall Council following reports of excess pollution is being dumped on Cornish beaches. The move comes following a report by Panorama highlighting specific problems at Gwithian and Porthtowan beaches.

The BBC programme screened footage of pollution being discharged on to the beaches through the combined sewage overflows (CSOs) after heavy rain. Julia responded by calling for a meeting with South West Water, which manages the sewage overflows, to ensure action is taken to prevent this problem from continuing.

The meeting will take place on November 13th. Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage have also been invited.

The MP for Falmouth and Camborne said: "Our beaches are a national treasure and an important part of Cornwall's natural landscape, as well as being vital to our economy. It's absolutely essential that people can bathe in our waters with absolute confidence. Panorama's investigation has raised serious concerns that must be investigated and addressed."

Julia will be calling on South West Water to run a pilot scheme to make real-time updates of when overflows are being used, and alert lifeguards and the local authority if necessary.

She said: "As a minimum, South West Water should make information publicly available every time each storm water drain overflows, particularly if it could pose a potential risk to bathing water quality."