UK water sports demand clean-up, blaming sewage for illness and event cancellations
British water sports bodies have banded together to demand the government tackles the sewage crisis, which they say is a “death knell” for many activities in the UK.
The volume of untreated sewage dumped into rivers and seas reached a new record last year, further fuelling public anger over pollution and privatised water companies, which many argue prioritise profit over investing in infrastructure.
The Clean Water Sports Alliance, which represents anglers, rowers, triathletes, sailors, paddleboarders, canoeists and swimmers, said training sessions, activities and events are being cancelled or postponed across the country due to unsafe water quality.
The dirty water is making users of British waters ill, says the group representing seven national governing bodies of the water-based sports.
Read more: ‘Shocking’ incidents of sewage in gardens – with disease outbreaks ‘very possible’
The Angling Trust, British Rowing, British Triathlon, GB Outrigger, Paddle UK, Royal Yachting Association and Swim England together represent 450,000 people involved in the outdoor activities.
“We are advocating for the restoration of our blue spaces for the enjoyment of all,” the Clean Water Sports Alliance said in a statement on Tuesday.
Last month, rowers in the historic Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge, who for nearly two hundred years have celebrated by jumping into the River Thames, were warned not to expose themselves to water because of high levels of E.coli bacteria from sewage spills.
The winning Boat Race team typically jumps into the River Thames to celebrate. Pic: AP
Cameron Taylor, chief executive of GB Outrigger – which represents people who enjoy a form of canoeing called outrigging – said: “Polluted water is a death knell for British sport.
“Clean water needs to move from being considered a ‘nice to have’ to a literal ‘we can’t live without’. Without clean water, we do not exist.”
Many coastal waters, rivers and lakes across Britain are being contaminated by pollution and sewage spills due to creaking water infrastructure, intensive farming, a growing population and climate change.
Thames Water, which has a large debt that could force it to be nationalised, has become a focal point for campaigners, outraged by its poor environmental record and financial woes.
The alliance is calling on the government to sufficiently fund the regulators so they can hold polluters to account, and for compulsory monitoring of all sewage outlets, with real-time data on water quality.
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Why is sewage flooding streets?
Government and water industry accept pollution is ‘unacceptable’
A government spokesperson responded by saying: “Sewage pollution in our waters is unacceptable, which is why we have taken action to ban water bosses’ bonuses when criminal breaches have occurred, quadrupled company inspections next year, provided more funding to our water regulators and fast-tracked investment to cut spills.
“100% of overflows are now being monitored and if water companies are found to breach their permits, action will be taken – up to and including criminal prosecution.
“We also need to be tackling every source of pollution – not just from storm overflows, but also agriculture, plastics, road run-off and chemicals.”
A Water UK spokesperson said: “We agree everyone should be able to enjoy our rivers and seas. The quality of our bathing waters has transformed with seven times as many beaches classed as ‘excellent’ since the 1990s.
“All storm overflows in England are now monitored and water companies are publishing interactive maps so anyone can see exactly what’s happening, as it’s happening.
“However, sewage spill levels remain unacceptable, so water companies in England have proposed £10bn to reduce spills by nearly 40% by 2030.”
UK drivers are “confused” by the country’s electric car transition, ministers are being warned.
Although most drivers are not hostile towards electric vehicles (EVs), many are confused about what changes are coming and when, according to new research from the AA.
In a survey of more than 14,000 AA members, 7% thought the government was banning the sale of used petrol and diesel cars.
Around a third thought manual EVs exist, despite them all being automatic.
More than one in five said they would never buy an EV.
The government’s plan for increasing the number of electric vehicles being driven in the UK focuses heavily on increasing the supply of the vehicles.
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What you can do to reach net zero
In 2024, at least 22% of new cars and 10% of new vans sold by each manufacturer in the UK had to be zero-emission, which generally means pure electric.
Each year, those percentages will rise, reaching 80% of new cars and 70% of new vans in 2030.
Manufacturers will face fines of £15,000 per vehicle if electric vehicle sales fall short of 28% of total production this year.
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By 2035, all new cars and vans will be required to be fully zero emission, according to the Department for Transport.
Second-hand diesel and petrol cars will still be allowed to be sold after this date, and their fuel will still be available.
There are more EVs – but will people buy them?
In February, 25% of new cars were powered purely by battery and in January, they made up 21% of all new cars registered in the UK.
But despite the growth of electric sales, manufacturers continue to warn that the market will not support the growth required to hit government EV targets, and called for consumer incentives and the extension of tax breaks.
The AA suggested the government’s plan focuses on “supply but does little to encourage demand for EVs”.
It called on ministers to co-ordinate a public awareness campaign alongside the motoring industry which directly targets drivers who doubt the viability of EVs.
“Our message to government is more needs to be done to make EVs accessible for everyone,” said Jakob Pfaudler, AA chief executive.
Which? head of consumer rights Sue Davis said: “When it comes to making sustainable choices such as switching to an electric car, our research shows that people are often held back by high costs, complex choices or uncertainty.
“The government needs to provide the right information on electric vehicles and other sustainable choices so that people have the confidence to switch.”
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re investing over £2.3bn to help industry and consumers make a supported switch to EVs.
“This includes installing a public charge point every 28 minutes, keeping EV incentives in the company car tax regime to 2030, and extending 100% first-year allowances for zero-emission cars for another year.
“Second-hand EVs are also becoming cheaper than ever, with one in three available under £20,000 and 21 brand new models available for less than £30,000.
“We’re seeing growing consumer confidence as a result.”
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