A Pembrokeshire beach will form the focus for a ‘Surfers Against Sewage’ protest this month, to help highlight a clean seas campaign against the sewage crisis - to say “enough is enough - cut the crap!”

Community members and beach-goers are taking part in the national ‘Paddle out Protests’ to stand up for their rights to clean water, with one taking place at the Galleon end of Broad Haven beach (SA62 3JW) on Saturday, May 18 at 12pm, where large numbers of people are expected to come down and support the event including - swimmers, paddlers, surfers, kayakers, paddle-boarders, wing foilers, coasteering companies, divers and lifeguards.

“Protestors will paddle out across Broad Haven Beach demonstrating to the Government, water companies and regulators that they will not stop until we see an end to sewage pollution,” said Kate Evans of Planet CIC.

“This protest is part of the national Surfers Against Sewage protests happening all over the UK, and the only one located in Pembrokeshire to apply ongoing pressure to Welsh Water.

“Being the home of the ‘Bluetit’ swimmers there is massive further support on this issue and together people are demanding change.”

In 2023, North and West Pembrokeshire was polluted by sewage 7,659 times lasting 91,401 hours - but monitoring was disabled in some locations, so it is likely even more.

Protecting water quality has been at the heart of Surfers Against Sewage since 1990 because water companies are continuing to dump a toxic chemical cocktail of untreated sewage agriculture pollution, contaminants from roads, household chemicals and rainwater into our waterways.

Sewage pollution has a devastating impact on both human health and destroying vital ecosystems that support life on earth.

This issue impacts on so many people in St. Brides Bay - which is a Marine Special Area of Conservation, and across Pembrokeshire that together make up a formidable voice that can no longer be ignored.

2024 is hoped to be the year for change and these Paddle Out Protests will highlight this. With a general election likely to happen, there is a real opportunity to build on the momentum and public outrage over sewage pollution from last year.

2024 is also the year that water companies and regulators are setting out their investment plans for the next five years, making it the perfect time to ramp up the pressure, with Ofwat soon to publish their ‘draft determinations’ on business plans of water companies.