In May 1990, a group of surfers from Porthtowan and St Agnes, fed up with paddling through raw sewage surrounded by sanitary towels and condoms, decided enough was enough. They were going to fight back. So they got together to protest. What started as a local campaign against the outfall of St Agnes, North Cliffs and Portreath, struck a chord with surf communities across the UK – and quickly grew into a true grassroots movement.
Surfers from Langland, Saltburn, Bournemouth, and everywhere in between bought the t-shirt, got the sticker and signed up. The group went from nowhere to 15,000 paid up members in a blink of an eye – at a time when eco warriors weren’t considered cool. SAS changed this. In a few short years the group that had been dismissed as bums were described as, "some of the government's most sophisticated environmental critics,” and, "Britain's coolest pressure group”.
Over the next decades, its members, activists, staff and board played a pivotal role in raising awareness about sewage pollution. Thanks to their efforts, billions of pounds were invested in the late 1990s – direct untreated outfalls were shut off and discharges were at least screened for sanitary waste. It was a huge success.
But successive governments and weak water industry watchdogs let privatised water monopolies siphon off public money for shareholders and fat-cat CEOs – instead of investing in infrastructure. Which means we now face ever-increasing, combined sewer overflows – sewage released when the system is overloaded.
We shouldn't have to surf, dip, paddle or swim in sewage. Ever. We know the damage it does to the environment, and to our health and wellbeing. So the fight for clean seas continues. Fortunately SAS now has 50 staff, thousands of members, local reps, medical surveys, science and legal backing – everything it needs to take on the establishment and finish the job for good.
Happy birthday, SAS. Never stop fighting until the fighting is done.
Steve
editor
