Water Quality

OUR AMBITION IS TO END SEWAGE DISCHARGE INTO UK BATHING WATERS BY 2030

Water quality report

WATCH YOUR EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW OF OUR END SEWAGE POLLUTION FILM

What is the problem?

Sewage and agricultural pollution still plague the rivers and ocean. In 2019 there were over 200,000 discharges of untreated sewage into UK rivers and almost 2,000 discharges into UK coastal bathing waters during the May-September bathing season alone.

The sheer volume of sewage and run-off entering the water means the UK is ranked just 25th out of 30 EU countries for coastal water quality and only 14% of rivers meet good ecological status.

What is sewage pollution?

Sewage pollution is classified as everything we flush down the loo or wash down the drain which is released into the environment via Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs), as well as the run-off from agriculture, roads, landfill and poor waste management – otherwise known as diffuse pollution.

Where does sewage pollution come from?

Sewage pollution is released into rivers and the ocean through Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs). CSOs are emergency infrastructure assets permitted to discharge untreated wastewater during periods of heavy rain. CSOs are an essential part of our sewage infrastructure designed to prevent sewage backing up into homes when there is an extreme rainfall event. However, evidence shows that CSOs are now being used with alarming frequency, polluting the environment and posing a threat to people and wildlife.

What are the risks involved with sewage pollution?

When we surf, swim or play in water that has raw sewage in it we are at risk of gastroenteritis, ear, nose and throat infections, skin infections, and even hepatitis and e-coli. Research has shown that water users in the UK remain just as likely to become ill from seawater as they were in the 1990s. Poor water quality can also harm river and ocean wildlife, reducing biodiversity and damaging delicate ecosystems.

The Risks of Mixing with Sewage

WHAT IS THE CAUSE?

Despite the proven risks to people and the environment, sewage and diffuse pollution events are purposely being ignored by the government and water companies are failing to invest in improving infrastructure.

The UK’s sewerage system is unfit for purpose and cannot cope with the pressures of increasing population, urbanisation and changing weather patterns – water company infrastructure investments have failed to protect the environment and recreational water users. Instead, they rely upon 17,684 licensed sewer overflows to routinely discharge raw sewage into rivers and the ocean.

Financial penalties are too easily built into the operating costs of water companies and don’t reflect the true environmental damage caused by the systematic discharging of untreated sewage. Additionally, weak enforcement of existing regulation from both underfunded and under resourced environment agencies means no effective driver is in place to ensure water companies change their behaviour.

The UK’s water quality testing regime, designed to protect water users and the environment, is set up to fail us. Evidence shows our water quality testing regime overlooks and ignores the worst pollution events in the country and misleads the public about the safety of the water.
Diffuse pollution from agriculture, roads, landfill and poor waste management exacerbates the problem with rivers and the ocean becoming contaminated with agricultural slurry, microplastics, car tyres and landfill sources.

What needs to change?

We are calling for an end to sewage pollution to guarantee safe seas, all year round. To ensure the health and wellbeing of the public, and help save the ocean, we need:

An enhanced water quality testing regime

We want assurance that COVID-19 is not transmitted in sewage effluent
We want to see the immediate reinstatement of the 2020 water quality testing regime
We want an enhanced regime which tests for emerging threats such as antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses
We want accurate real-time water quality information available all year round for all UK inland and coastal bathing areas

World leading water quality legislation

We want an Environment Bill that exceeds existing EU water quality standards
We want sewage legislation that sets ambitious and legally binding targets to end untreated sewage discharge in all bathing waters by 2030
We want legislation that upholds the same high standards for both inland and coastal waters

Nature based solutions to sewage pollution

We want increased investment and associated targets for the restoration of natural habitats to reduce pressure on the water systems and help prevent sewer overflows

What is SAS doing?

Together with our network of ocean activists, supported by peer-reviewed evidence, we challenge the government and water companies to end sewage pollution in rivers and the ocean. We provide the only national real-time water quality service that protects all water users from pollution.

Success Stories

SAS has been leading the way in the fight for better water quality and sewage free seas. Over the last 30 years we have made some great stride. Our successes include:

98.5% of the 625 designated bathing waters around the UK are 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 could meet the same standards
Providing the UK’s first real-time water quality information service for over 370 locations across England, Scotland and Wales. The Safer Seas Service allows us all to make informed decisions about the risk of entering the sea by providing alerts when both sewer overflows discharge untreated wastewater and when forecasting systems indicate water quality is temporarily reduced

The government is ignoring the worst pollution events in our country, putting the health of all UK water users at risk and exposing delicate ecosystems to harm.

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