Beaches in England closed because water companies put raw sewage into the sea. The UK warned holidaymakers to avoid dozens of beaches. Some of the beaches were popular with tourists, surfers and swimmers. People risked getting diseases if they went into the water. Water companies advised people to keep their mouth closed in the sea. A resident near a beach said she saw things she didn't want to see floating in the water. She said: "It's filthy…and it stinks." She added the sewage was easy to see and smell. She called it a "poonami".

People in England are angry with the water companies. England sold its water to private companies. The CEOs are getting million-dollar bonuses while dangerous raw sewage is polluting the environment. Water companies have pumped raw sewage into Britain's seas for more than nine million hours since 2016. In 2016, the European Union said England's beaches were among the cleanest in Europe; now they are among the dirtiest. One woman said clean water was a human right and not for profits. She said water company CEOs cared more about their bonuses than the environment.