Footage shows sewage discharged too close to shore
BBCDrone footage filmed by the BBC has revealed that raw sewage is being pumped out to sea off Guernsey too close to the shore.
After sending footage filmed on 1 May to Guernsey Water, the utility firm said it had identified a fault with a pipe pumping untreated sewage into the sea at Soldier's Bay. It said the outfall served 75 homes at Fort George.
Specialist dye showed the waste was not discharging into the correct location, in deeper water. The dye showed the sewage was coming out at an inspection chamber part way along the outfall.
Guernsey Water could not confirm how long the pipe had not been working properly and said teams would be on site at the end of this week to attempt a repair.
A spokesperson said if it could not be repaired "when teams are on-site, alternative options will be considered".
The BBC was looking into the operation of the outfall after questions were asked in the States of Guernsey about the sewage pipe by Deputy Andy Cameron.
Guernsey Water said the utility was grateful to the BBC for sharing its drone footage.
Two drones operated by Guernsey Harbours, one in the air and one underwater, were subsequently used to inspect the outfall on Friday.
A Guernsey Water sewer CCTV robot was also used to investigate the issue.
In a statement, the utility firm said: "Tides are low enough toward the end of this week and start of next for teams to attempt repairs.
"In the meantime, we want to let anyone using Soldier's Bay know about the fault, which means that wastewater from the Fort George outfall won't disperse as much as normal.
"We will provide further updates as soon as the fault is repaired and the discharge returns to its normal location in deeper water."
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