Dirty brown waters lap the coast of Kent’s popular seaside hotspot in shocking drone footage

Shocking drone footage shows dirty brown water lapping the shoreline of a popular Kent seaside town.

Videos taken over Herne Bay on Tuesday revealed that the once turquoise North Sea has turned completely brown and appears to have a white frothy substance floating on it.

Southern Water said the discoloration appeared to have been caused by a “riot of sediment” that came from a nearby power outlet pipe and “occurred naturally” when it launched an investigation.

And just a mile up the coast, the popular tourist resort of Whitstable Harbor suffers from murky surface waters, which have also been linked to sediment from Southern Water.

The utility is working ‘hard’ to reduce the use of storm surges in Whitstable and is investing £25m in upgrades to its Swalecliffe Wastewater Treatment plant. Southern Water aims to reduce overflows by at least 20 percent by spring 2025.

Close-up shots of the North Sea at Herne Bay showed a white frothy substance, apparently some sort of secretion, floating on top of the brown-colored water

Drones flying over Herne Bay captured video on Tuesday as waves of murky water hit the Kent coastline. Close-ups of the North Sea showed a white frothy substance, apparently some kind of discharge, floating on top of the brown-colored water.

The video sparked discussion on Twitter after environmental activist group SOS Whistable asked their followers, “Would you like to swim in this?”

The group further demanded that Southern Water provide an explanation for the discoloration.

A Southern Water spokesperson told MailOnline that an investigation into the incident was underway and said experts believe it was likely due to natural causes.

“Early indications suggest that this is not sewage from the storm overflow we serve, but is likely caused by an upheaval of sediment, which is naturally formed and originates from a nearby stream outlet pipe, receiving various runoff from fields, highways, sewers and water drainage from roofs,” the spokesperson added.

The water company believes the plume originated at the mouth of the Plentybrook Stream, which reportedly receives several runoff streams from fields and highway drains, as well as water runoff from rooftops.

The company claimed that the only storm overflow connected to this stream has had no leaks or problems.

Similarly, Southern Water confirmed that the discoloration reported Tuesday in Whitstable Harbor was ‘due to sediment’ – not sewage or storm flooding, as some campaigners have suggested.

“This video shows a discharge of surface water only – this is not storm overflow and does not contain waste water,” the spokesperson said.

‘It supports the steady flow of the nearby Gorrell Stream and provides flood protection to Whitstable by bringing water into the harbor twice a day. Any discoloration is due to sediment.’

The company is investigating whether the incidents are related in any way.

Southern Water confirmed an investigation into the incident was underway and said experts believe it is likely a result of natural causes

Southern Water confirmed the discoloration reported Tuesday in Whitstable Harbor was ‘due to sediment’ – not sewage or storm flooding as some campaigners have suggested

Southern Water noted that it is working with community groups, including SOS Whistable, to install 2,000 slow-draining rain barrels in the Tankerton area.

Other initiatives include the launch of sustainable drainage systems and efforts to create ‘green’ community spaces.

“We are also working hard to reduce the use of storm surges in Whitstable, invest £25 million in upgrades to the Swalecliffe Wastewater Treatment plant and introduce more nature-based solutions to improve the flow of surface water to the sewage system. delay,” a spokesman said.

The company hopes to reduce the number of storm surges by at least 20 percent within the next two years.

The video comes as Environment Minister Therese Coffey launched a campaign to improve the water in Britain’s beauty spots.

She unveiled a plan that will legally bind water companies to end wastewater discharges by 2050.

Sewer discharges near high-priority areas, such as nature reserves, should be reduced by 75 percent by 2030 and eliminated by 2045.

Ms Coffey’s campaign follows a report in which analysts revealed water companies will have dumped sewage on England’s Blue Flag beaches more than 1,500 times by 2022.