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Our sewage pollution campaigns

Take action to improve water quality

Our waterways are being poisoned. And it’s a total shit show.

So here’s what we’re doing and how you can help.

From unacceptable sewage discharge, to toxic run-off and rising pH levels, irresponsible water companies and big businesses are destroying the ocean. Want to put an end to it? Let’s do this.

What we’re doing about water quality

Through our ever-growing network of Ocean Activists, we’ve been leading the way in the fight for better water quality and sewage-free seas for over 30 years. We provide real-time pollution alerts for over 420 locations across the UK  so that water users can decide when and where its safe to swim, surf and paddle. We’re calling out polluters on their destructive habits forcing them to make changes and invest in their crumbling infrastructure. We are pacing the corridors of power demanding changes in government legislation that actually protects and restores our waterways. And we’re taking to the streets and water in protest, creating a tidal wave that cant be ignored.  

But we’re not done yet. Because the situation is still dire and the ocean is still filthy. We demand an end to sewage discharge into UK bathing waters and a 90% reduction in all sewage discharges by 2030, and we need your voice, energy and enthusiasm to be heard, seen and noticed. 

Influencing the next election

Let's turn the tide on sewage pollution. We've teamed up with other organisations to create the End Sewage Pollution Manifesto, which sets out the progressive policies that we want all parties to include in their election promises ahead of the next election.

Learn more

Dirty Money campaign

Our Dirty Money campaign is calling out the water industry's profiting from pollution. We're already making an impact and we've only just started.

Dirty Money campaign

Past campaign successes

Coastal Bathing Waters Designations

Our work through the 1990’s and 2000’s has led to 98.5% of the 625 designated bathing waters around the UK  now classified as excellent, good, or sufficient. This is a huge leap forward from when we started in 1990, when just 27% of bathing waters met the same standards.

 

 

#End Sewage Pollution Campaign

In September 2021 we gathered over 40,000 signatures on our End Sewage Pollution which we presented directly to the Secretary of State for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. Combined with tens of thousands of emails send directly to MP’s across the country through the Safer Seas & Rivers Service every time a pollution alert is issued, led to significant changes to the Environment Act, forcing Government and water companies to take action.

#End Sewage Pollution National Day of Action

In April 2022, thousands of Ocean Activists across the country too part in the first national day of action on sewage pollution. Twelve water companies, twelve protests, one message. Its time to End Sewage Pollution. We made waves, attracting media attention and kept the pressure on. 

 

Speak up for Our Rivers Petition

In summer 2022, we demanded the Government act on the diabolical state of the UK’s rivers with a call for 200 River Bathing Waters to be created by 2030. We gathered over 51,000 signatures and handed the petition to the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs. We’re keeping the pressure on through our political advocacy programme, but we’re not idly standing by waiting for government to act. Through our Bathing Waters Support programme, we’re empowering communities to seek Bathing Water designation for their local swim spots.

 

Shockingly, but somewhat unsurprisingly, only 14% of our rivers meet good ecological status, and our bathing waters now languish at the bottom of the European bathing water quality table. This is simply unacceptable. We must end sewage pollution now.

Go deeper

Sewage pollution

Water companies treat our blue spaces like an open sewer. And government and regulators turn a blind eye. We need to #EndSewagePollution now.

Sewage pollution: what we stand for

We’re calling for radical reform of the broken water industry The UK consistently ranks as one of the worst European countries for water quality, thanks to the staggering amount of sewage pollution dumped in the blue spaces we love. The toxic behaviour of water companies, big business and government threatens the health…