The shocking state of Britain’s bathing waters have been laid bare as new figures reveal the number of beauty spots deemed unfit for swimming because of sewage has doubled in a year.
Of England’s 451 protected bathing spots, 37 are now rated as poor – the lowest category – because they contain unsafe levels of potentially deadly bacteria, including E coli and intestinal enterococci, due to sewage spills. The 2024 figures, provided by the Environment Agency, are up from 18 in 2023.
And so far this month, there has been more than 6,000 sewage discharges across England, Scotland and Wales, with alerts issued at 157 beaches through campaign group Surfers Against Sewage’s Safer Seas and Rivers Service app.
The highest number of pollution incidents recorded in 2024 was at Wallasey, Birkenhead, which had 2,201 spills.
It comes as water companies in England reported 2,487 pollution incidents last year, the highest in a decade, and a 30 per cent increase against the Environment Agency’s target to reduce sewage.
The Environment Agency said this level of pollution is “unacceptable”, while MPs from across the political divide branded sewage levels “deeply troubling” and “absolutely shocking”.
It comes as a new report from campaign group SAS revealed it received 1,853 sickness reports in the past year – an average of five people a day. Of this number, 331 people were so ill they had to see a doctor, with 79 per cent reporting that their illness was linked to sewage pollution.
Health issues reported have included gastroenteritis, chest infections and serious bacterial infections, with some swimmers having to be hospitalised.
Giles Bristow, CEO at SAS, said: “It’s the Easter Holidays and thousands of people are flocking to the UK’s blue spaces only to be confronted by the threat of sewage pollution. This is shocking, unacceptable and the system is nothing but a farce.
“We are demanding radical reform of this utterly broken sector, so that we can all enjoy the very basic right to swim, surf and paddle without risking becoming unwell.”
To mark Earth Day 2025, The Independent is donating £20,000 to the charity to support its invaluable work.
In a bid to clean up beaches and rivers, the 451 locations granted bathing water status are tested during the summer season for E coli and intestinal enterococci.
Many of those rated poor are popular among swimmers, surfers and kayakers, and include Scarborough South Bay, which has been rated poor for two consecutive years. Popular with families, it is renowned for its amusement arcades, ice cream parlours and donkey rides along the beach.
Also listed as poor is Wallingford Beach, a 35m-long stretch of sandy grass along the River Thames, which is a favourite among wild swimmers and sees hundreds of sunbathers swarm to it on the hottest days.
The latest Environment Agency figures from March showed storm overflows spewed sewage into England’s rivers, lakes and along coastlines for new highs of more than 3.61 million hours in 2024.
Coastal areas particularly affected with poor water quality ratings include Weston-super-Mare and Blackpool’s beaches, both of which are popular with families.
Labour MP Clive Lewis, who introduced a private member’s bill to parliament aimed at cleaning up the UK’s water by nationalising companies that repeatedly pollute waterways, said: "The shocking deterioration of Britain’s waterways is deeply troubling and can no longer be ignored. While water companies continue to hand billions to shareholders, our rivers, seas and lakes are suffering severe pollution, causing illness among the public and harming wildlife.”
Referring to criticism that his government’s approach has been “woefully inadequate”, he urged greater transparency, accountability and for Labour to consider public ownership of water companies.
“Protecting our waterways should be a shared priority for the health and wellbeing of everyone. Not the get-rich-quick Ponzi scheme it has sadly become.”
Tim Farron MP, the Liberal Democrats’ environment spokesperson, called for the water regulator Ofwat to be abolished: “It is absolutely shocking to see just how many swimming spots are plagued with disgusting pollution. For swimmers, and for animals and wildlife, bathing sites should be at the very least clean and safe.
“Rightly so, people are furious at water companies who continue to pump outrageous amounts of sewage into our rivers and seas whilst executives pocket eye-watering bonuses.”
An Environment Agency spokesperson said the current levels of pollution are “unacceptable” and it was taking steps to hold polluting water companies to account.
“It is now a statutory requirement for water companies to produce annual plans showing how they will meet our expectation of reducing pollution incidents by 40 per cent.
“We’re also undertaking the biggest transformation to the way we regulate with new enforcement powers and more regulation and enforcement officers. This will ensure our regulation of water companies better meets the needs of people and the environment.”
A government spokesperson said that “for too long water companies have pumped record levels of sewage into our waterways” and it was committed to making them pay.
A spokesperson said: “We have delivered on our promise to put water companies under tough special measures through our landmark Water Act, introducing new powers to ban the payment of bonuses to polluting water bosses and bring tougher criminal charges against them if they break the law.”
