The groundwater contamination problem at Cullercoats Bay has gone on “long enough”, says Mayor. The elected Mayor of North Tyneside Dame Norma Redfearn told council colleagues a new group, involving residents, is meeting regularly to help resolve the water problems at the bay, which date back to 2017. In late November, Cullercoats Bay had failed its fifth Environment Agency assessment, which meant it could lose its designated bathing water status, though that is being consulted on.
33 other sites across the region were rated either ‘excellent’ or ‘good’ by the Environment Agency. In May, King Edwards’s Bay Whitley Bay and Tynemouth Longsands earned the Blue Flag and Seaside Awards in recognition of their cleanliness.
Elected Mayor Dame Norma said: “We continue to work with the Environment Agency and Northumbrian Water and council colleagues. I have to tell you that we set up a group to meet regularly and we are going to involve some residents because it has gone on long enough, so that is where we are with that.”
A Northumbrian Water spokesperson said: “Since 2017, we have led an investigation, alongside the Environment Agency and North Tyneside Council, into the reasons behind the water issues at Cullercoats. During this time, we have made improvements to our network and also to local authority assets. The investigations have shown no evidence of our assets being a primary cause for the deterioration in bathing water quality.
“Contaminated groundwater is likely to be that primary cause and we are currently delivering a project with North Tyneside Council, to divert water from a local authority culvert into our network, to see if that has a positive effect on the water quality. A hydrogeological study to further understand the pathways of groundwater into the bay was completed in September 2023.
“The outcome from this report has been used to determine the next phase of work which is progressing in partnership with the Environment Agency and North Tyneside Council.”
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