Ocean Activists Challenge Water Companies
Environmental campaigning charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) publishes new Water Quality Report exposing ongoing sewage pollution issues in our ocean and rivers. In 2019, SAS has tracked and reported on 1,784 sewage pollution events along the English coastline.
Despite recent fines, Southern Water was responsible for the highest number of sewage discharges in 2019, with 571 pollution events recorded. o In 2019, the charity estimates that up to 10% of days in the UK’s summer bathing season were ‘lost’ due to the impact of sewage pollution, based on the precautionary health advice. o Up to 80% of sewage pollution events take place outside of the official bathing season when many people still actively use the water, particularly those that require winter conditions, such as surfers.
31 October 2019, Brighton: Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) activists gathered on Brighton beach on Saturday 2nd November in a protest against water companies on the levels of sewage they continue to discharge into England’s rivers and ocean. The protest marked the release the SAS Water Quality Report, which evidences and illustrates the threat of sewage pollution at some beaches and rivers.
The issue of poor water quality is returning to public consciousness and has been highlighted nationally by reports issued by both environmental charities and regulators. These reports have shown that water companies are performing consistently badly, with pollution events increasing and causing damage to local environments, wildlife, and putting human health at risk. Our rivers and oceans are at now risk of being treated like ‘open sewers’ as underinvestment, population and climate pressures converge.
Surfers Against Sewage has tracked and reported on 1,784 sewage pollution events along the UK coastline in 2019. Based on precautionary health recommendations, which advise against bathing for up to 48 hours after a sewage pollution event, this equates to an estimated 10% of bathing days lost to sewage discharges.
This year, Southern Water received record fines of £126 million for serious failures in their sewage treatment works and for deliberately misreporting its water quality performance. Despite these record fines, Southern Water was still responsible for the most sewage pollution events in 2019, with over 571 reported sewage pollution events.
SAS believes that people should be always be adequately informed and protected when they are using the sea and rivers for recreation. People should not face elevated risks of illness because of poor water quality due to sewage pollution generated by water companies. Where there is an unavoidable risk due to unusually extreme weather conditions, people should always be made aware of sewage pollution in real-time.
Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage says: “Damning evidence has emerged this year showing just how prevalent sewage pollution impacts are along our coastline and rivers. Surfers Against Sewage has been campaigning for almost thirty years on this issue, with some great successes and progress in that time. However, the spectre of sewage pollution seems to be returning and the time for more radical action to protect our ocean, waterways and water users has come. Water companies must put the health of planet and people before the interests of shareholders.”
Surfers Against Sewage has tracked and reported on 1,784 sewage pollution events along the UK coastline in 2019. Based on precautionary health recommendations, which advise against bathing for up to 48 hours after a sewage pollution event, this equates to an estimated 10% of bathing days lost to sewage discharges.
This year, Southern Water received record fines of £126 million for serious failures in their sewage treatment works and for deliberately misreporting its water quality performance. Despite these record fines, Southern Water was still responsible for the most sewage pollution events in 2019, with over 571 reported sewage pollution events.
SAS believes that people should be always be adequately informed and protected when they are using the sea and rivers for recreation. People should not face elevated risks of illness because of poor water quality due to sewage pollution generated by water companies. Where there is an unavoidable risk due to unusually extreme weather conditions, people should always be made aware of sewage pollution in real-time.
Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage says: “Damning evidence has emerged this year showing just how prevalent sewage pollution impacts are along our coastline and rivers. Surfers Against Sewage has been campaigning for almost thirty years on this issue, with some great successes and progress in that time. However, the spectre of sewage pollution seems to be returning and the time for more radical action to protect our ocean, waterways and water users has come. Water companies must put the health of planet and people before the interests of shareholders.”
For more info visit sas.org.uk
