‘Systemic and chronic’ sewage pollution in UK revealed in new water quality report from Surfers Against Sewage
A damning report from environmental campaign group Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has found 60% of popular swimming sites in England aren’t meeting minimum safety requirements.
While figures for sewage discharge into UK rivers and coastlines is ‘most likely a huge underestimation’ into the scale of the UK sewage scandal, the report suggests.
Using citizen science data, the environmental charity reported how most bathing sites in England are unsafe for swimming, as sewage discharge continues to blight the waterways and coastlines of England.
Only 14% of rivers in England meet good ecological status, whilst none meet good chemical status, as this year alone 18,000 sewage alerts were reported in the UK.
When there are few places that remain free and public at the point of access, you’d hope clean public bathing sites would be one of them. But in 2022 Surfers Against Sewage received near 2,000 sickness reports due to sewage pollution, adding up to an estimated five years worth of sick days, and this only includes those who reported to the charity.
However it’s not just swimming that’s at risk but businesses too, as the report also includes human impact stories from those who have been affected by poor water quality. For example Steve, an SAS Rep in Scarborough, who was forced to shut his surf school this summer due to water pollution.
Giles Bristow, SAS CEO, slammed the government for failing to keep the public and our environment safe.
“Yet again, our water quality report reveals the complacency and disregard of governments, water companies and regulators towards the health of rivers and coastlines in the UK,” said Bristow.
“How much do our blue spaces need to suffocate in sewage before those we elect to keep us safe and protect our environment wake up and smell the shit?”
Across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales sewage has been spewed more than 399,864 times, over 1,000 times a day, which the report suggests is a ‘huge underestimation’.
The group pointed to severe budget cuts to environmental regulators which have led to pollution events going uninvestigated and unpunished, and have called for better transparency when it comes to monitoring water companies.
There is an ongoing campaign to introduce 200 designated inland bathing water sites by 2030 and improve the ‘dire state’ of our water. While campaign group We Own It have highlighted the report as another example of why water should be brought into public ownership.
Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward, focusing on trade unions and environmental issues
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