8 elite athletes. 3 days. 200km+ of swimming. One clear message to government: end sewage pollution now.
From 1-4 September, 2025, a team of Olympic and world-class swimmers completed an unprecedented challenge — a nonstop, 200+km, 3-day relay down the River Thames, finishing at the heart of Government in Westminster.
The Thames Swim Against Sewage was an epic first-of-its-kind endurance event. It wasn’t just about pushing human limits — it was about exposing the limits of a broken water system and demanding urgent action to #EndSewagePollution.
This swim united athletes from England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland with Surfers Against Sewage and the communities and citizen scientists fighting to protect their waters. Together, we brought people power, hard-hitting data and overwhelming public support right to Westminster — timed to hit as MPs return from summer recess.
Because let’s be clear. Our current water system is broken. And the time for action is now.
What happened?
The 200km Thames Swim was never going to be easy. Over three relentless days and nights, the team kept moving in a nonstop relay — swimming through darkness, battling exhaustion, pushing through aching muscles and the inevitable dodgy stomachs that come with swimming in filthy water. It was a test of resilience as much as athletic ability.
But the toughest challenge wasn’t physical. Along the route at Slough, Henley and Marlow, the swimmers were forced to halt as we spotted CSOs spewing raw sewage on our live map. The irony was hard to miss: Thames Water offering a perfectly timed, unfiltered reminder of exactly why this campaign is so urgent.
When the swimmers finally reached London, they weren’t alone. A flotilla of kayaks and a support boat took them on the final stretch from Putney to Westminster with community members there to support. Together, they carried the message to Parliament’s doorstep — a powerful display of people power and a defiant call for government to end the sewage scandal once and for all.
Why now?
This isn’t just about the Thames. It’s about every river, every coastline, every swim and surf spot across the UK.
In 2024 alone, there were almost half a million (464,056) sewage discharges across the UK — creating a human health and environmental crisis. And that’s just the discharges we know about. The real number is likely closer to one million.
This isn’t just dirty water. It’s a national scandal. Water companies are prioritising profit over their duty to protect people and planet.
Right now, government is reviewing the very regulations meant to protect our waters. But the proposals on the table fall massively short — and could even weaken protections.
As Parliament return from recess, we’re turning up the heat. Our message is clear: tinkering around the edges won’t cut it. To end the sewage scandal, we need reform — a water system that works for people and planet, not profit and power.
The swimmers braved filthy waters to show what’s at stake. Now we need you to pile on the pressure where it counts. ✊ Will you take 30 seconds to email your local political rep, Ocean Activist?
