The Island may need warning flags to alert beachgoers of hazardous sewage waste, the environmental group Greenrock has suggested.

The organisation also branded media coverage of the dumping of raw sewage within sight of the Island’s shores “painful and embarrassing”, in a statement marking Earth Day.

Greenrock said that reports on pollution from offshore waste disposal, as well as the contamination of tank water — both of which were broken by The Royal Gazette — had brought “new focus on what are, sadly, not-so-new problems”.

It was the latest saga in a war of words over the Seabright outfall — which dumps hundreds of thousands of gallons daily offshore from Paget — after the 2013 findings of a water quality survey were published last month in this newspaper.

“The practice of dumping raw sewage just a few hundred yards off Bermuda’s pristine beaches has been in effect for generations,” Greenrock director Gordon Johnson said.

“But for many people, both here in Bermuda and abroad, it was real news.

“Are we really dumping raw sewage, in today’s day and age, with all of the modern waste treatment options available to us?

“And with regard to tank contamination, are we really turning a blind eye to policing our water supply and ensuring its safety, even though we have laws in place that clearly state what should and must be done in order to protect ourselves — and our young children — from dangerous bacteria?”

Last year’s study found that waste and bacteria moved onshore during adverse weather conditions.

An advisory early this month by the US Consulate warned swimmers to take infection risks into account, prompting Health and Environment Minister Trevor Moniz to caution that “greaseballs” and heightened levels of bacteria in the South Shore waters were short-lived and unusual phenomena.

On that occasion, Mr Moniz said warning flags might be deployed for such situations.

“Greaseballs” appeared on beaches near Seabright later in the month during strong south-easterly swells, and Shadow Minister Zane DeSilva accused the Government of failing to take action.

However, Mr Johnson called for an end to “phoney political finger pointing” over the issues.

Referencing the spread of the sewerage story to foreign media, after Bermuda’s tribulations with onshore “grease balls” and possible health hazards from contaminated water appeared in The Washington Post, “Yes, it is painful and embarrassing when news of our raw sewage being dumped within sight from shore is made public, especially if it’s done as an alert to residents — aka potential tourists — living in a nearby foreign country,” Mr Johnson said.

The reports “certainly couldn’t help” the Island’s flagging tourist economy, he added.

Noting that other jurisdictions faced similar issues, including Caribbean islands, Mr Johnson called on residents to learn from the remedial efforts of other countries.

“Some are doing real work in these areas, while others are only pretending to be doing so,” he said. “Let’s look to the rest of the world and see how others are making real progress. What steps are they taking? Let’s learn from the ones who are doing the right thing. And let’s also avoid the practices of the pretenders.”

“Question what other environmental issues hadn’t been brought into the public eye,” the Greenrock head said.

“The sooner we bring these into the open, the sooner we’ll find solutions. As painful and expensive as it might be, let’s work together and do the right thing.”

The Corporation of Hamilton maintains the underwater pipe, which juts offshore west of Hungry Bay, Paget. The concrete-covered outfall, which passes through a passage in the reef, was repaired in 2010 shortly after its covering of sand was washed away in Hurricane Igor.

The outfall has been in place at Seabright for decades, but has been extended over the years. According to the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), the outfall currently expels waste 700m offshore and 10m below the sea surface.