news release
    8th June 2005

Surfers (And Pirates) Paddle Round Brighton’s Pier In A Paddle Against Pollution

This year saw over 70 competitors enter the Surfers Against Sewage Paddle Round The Pier to take part in a sponsored paddle to help the campaign for clean seas in Brighton and Hove.

With no swell and beautiful sunshine Brighton’s Palace Pier was the ideal venue to undertake a paddling challenge. The event has a long history in Brighton and acts a reminder to Government, local authorities and the water industry that at present Brighton is without a modern day sewage treatment works. In its place the equivalent of 80 Olympic swimming pools of raw sewage are discharged to sea every day from the 250,000 people living in the region.

SAS are campaigning to bring full sewage treatment to Brighton and Hove and are running a concerted campaign to deliver just that. Unfortunately Southern Water is planning only to semi treat the effluent before discharging it to sea. This would not only continue to put recreational water users health at risk but is wasting a resource it could be reusing if it was fully treated.

The highlight of the paddle had to be the 2 pirates trying to get themselves round the pier in what looked like a sink but was a bona fide sailing craft! Brilliant effort guys!

Over £2000 was raised at this year’s event and SAS would like to thank all the paddlers who have taken part again, the RNLI/Brighton Seafront Office for providing water safety cover, the water stewards from Brighton Kayak Company (thanks Adam), Ocean Sports and Sharkbait for website coverage.

Keep an eye on our website for more information when SAS will be out and about campaigning in Brighton.

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