Over half of the public don’t trust government to end sewage pollution
New research indicates the scale of public mistrust in the government to deal with water quality issues, with 52% of people saying they don’t trust that it will make the necessary reforms to end the UK’s sewage crisis. Sewage has poured into British waterways over 158,000 times so far this year, with 54 days where there have been more than 1,000 sewage discharges in a single day.
Surfers Against Sewage campaigners have gathered in London today to demand radical reform, ahead of the publication of the Independent Water Commission’s final report this month. They are calling for a radical overhaul of the water industry’s ownership model, needed to restore public trust and end the sewage crisis.
What does the new research show?
The results of a representative poll of 2,000 adults in England has found that 52% of those surveyed don’t trust the Government to put in place the necessary reforms to end sewage pollution. The research also found that just 16% believe that the current privatised model of the water industry is capable of ending sewage pollution and spills, without the need for reform.
The Independent Water Commission is set to deliver its final recommendations on water sector reform in England and Wales to the Government later this month. Campaigners say newly released polling data underscores public support for reforming the current model, which is formatted to prioritise profit over the public good. The Commission’s interim report, published on 3 June, drew criticism from Surfers Against Sewage CEO Giles Bristow, who warned it risks merely “tinkering around the edges” of a system he describes as fundamentally broken.
Why is the water industry broken?
Since privatisation in 1989, water companies in the UK have collectively amassed debts of over £69 billion, whilst paying out over £72.9 billion in dividends to shareholders. In 2024, water companies across England announced customer bills would increase by an average of 36% over the next five years, yet in the same year sewage was discharged over half a million times into UK waters, and shareholders of private water companies received £1.2 billion in payouts.
SAS data shows that, in 2025 so far, sewage has poured into British waterways over 158,000 times, with over 500 people reporting via the app that they have become sick after using the water since January. 488 sick days taken since the start of 2025. Between January and June, there has been 54 days where over 1,000 discharges have occurred in a single day.
What are campaigners calling for?
Ahead of the publication of the Independent Water Commission’s final report, expected before Parliament rises for recess on 22 July, campaigners are asking the Commission and its chair, Sir Jon Cunliffe, to radically rethink its plans.
Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage said: “Public trust in our profiteering water companies is in tatters, yet the Independent Water Commission still clings to the ideological delusion that our profit-before-people privatised system can be fixed. This solution is simple: water companies need to be restructured to operate for the public good, not private profit. The Government granted the Commission’s chair, Sir Jon Cunliffe, a golden opportunity to deliver a solution to the sewage crisis which still plagues our coastlines, rivers and lakes but he looks set to fluff his lines.
“For as long as the core aim of the water industry is to make profit, our seas will continue to fill with sewage whilst the fat cats’ pockets fill with dirty money. The Labour Government promised to bring failing water companies into order and clean up the mess of over 35 years of privatised pollution. It must act boldly in the face of diminishing public trust.
“So, Sir Jon, tinkering won’t cut it. Your recommendations must be bold and set the bar high for the Government who then must deliver the public’s clear demand for an end to profit from pollution.”
Learn more about Sir Jon and the Commission
Shocking sickness stories from sewage pollution
Campaign group Surfers Against Sewage receives thousands of sickness reports each year on its Safer Seas and Rivers Service app. Among them is the story of Charlie Clarke, who became unwell in 2023 after swimming at Clevedon Marine Lake near Bristol whilst training for an Ironman. He was rushed to hospital after collapsing the day after his swim. Many tests and ECGs over the following months concluded that a virus caught whilst swimming had lowered his blood pressure and caused a minor episode in his heart.
Charlie regularly competes in triathlons however is extremely conscious of water quality and will not compete if a sewage alert has been issued. Charlie said:
“Becoming ill from swimming set me back in so many ways both long and short term. It was a long road to recovery, and I felt isolated having to put my passion for sport on hold for several months. I am now extremely cautious when it comes to open water swimming and I have pulled out of events if there is a water quality alert.
“It makes me so angry that people are still getting sick from sewage pollution whilst water companies focus on making a profit. This has been a problem for years so clearly the current system is not working. I want to see the decision-makers make real reforms so that we don’t have to keep paying the price for a failing industry and the pursuit of greed- both out of our pockets and with our health.”
Suzi Finlayson became life-threateningly ill after swimming at her local beach in Bognor Regis. Ahead of the Commission delivering its report, she commented:
“Public health can’t be protected by a system driven by profit. When water companies treat fines as business costs, we pay with our health, our environment, and our trust.
“I became life-threateningly ill after swimming in the sea. Something I did for joy, wellbeing, and connection. If the government continues to neglect these issues, it’s another betrayal. It says profit matters more than people and more than our oceans: the bloodline of our planet. Our waters are part of who we are, our health, our heritage, our future. We can’t keep letting them be poisoned for profit.”
What are SAS asking of the Commission?
The Independent Water Commission’s report is due to be published in the coming weeks. Surfers Against Sewage are calling for the final report to:
- Restructure water companies to operate for public good, not private profit. Where a company is failing, the Government must use powers like Special Administration to intervene
- Protect public and environmental health by securing benign sources of investment and linking performance with returns
- Democratise decision-making with customers, environmentalists and local government balancing interests on water company boards
- Strengthen independent regulators, cash-strapped by years of under-funding leaving them unable to prosecute polluters at scale
- Mandate public oversight of local and regional water company planning, spending and performance, and integrate with a national urgent action plan.