Sewage in UK Waters — What Swimmers Need to Know
Sewage in UK Rivers and Seas — What Every Swimmer Needs to Know
Before I get in the water anywhere in the UK — sea, river, or lake — I check an app. Most people call it the Poo App. Its proper name is the Safer Seas and Rivers Service — the SSRS — and it is run by Surfers Against Sewage. It is free, it covers over 450 locations across the UK, and it tells you in real time whether sewage has been discharged into the water you are about to swim in.
I am going to give you the statistics first because they are important. And then I am going to tell you how to protect yourself.
The Statistics — And They Are Bad
In 2024 alone there were 592,478 confirmed sewage discharges into UK waters. Surfers Against Sewage estimate the real figure to be closer to one million when accounting for underreporting in Scotland and Northern Ireland. That is the equivalent of sewage pouring into our waters every 30 seconds.
In total, 4.7 million hours of sewage was dumped into UK waters in 2024.
In 2025, there were around 290,000 recorded sewage discharges from storm overflows in England alone, lasting around 1.9 million hours — and this was during one of the driest years on record. When it rains more, it gets significantly worse.
In 2024, Surfers Against Sewage received 1,853 illness reports from water users — that is five people a day getting sick after entering polluted water. One sea swimmer from Bognor Regis ended up in critical care and needed open-heart surgery after falling seriously ill. These are not abstract statistics. These are real people swimming in water that should be safe.
The total amount paid out in dividends to shareholders by water companies in England and Wales since privatisation is £74.2 billion. In 2023 to 2024 alone, water companies paid £1.2 billion in dividends — while raw sewage poured into the waters people swim, surf, and kayak in every day.
How Does Sewage End Up in Our Water?
The UK has a combined sewage system — rainwater and wastewater flow through the same pipes. When heavy rainfall increases the volume of water beyond what the system can handle, Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) are legally permitted to discharge untreated sewage directly into rivers, lakes, and the sea to prevent sewage backing up into homes and businesses.
The problem is that water companies have been using these overflow systems far more than the legal framework permits — including on dry days when there is no rain to justify the discharge. Raw sewage was released 372,533 times over 2.7 million hours in 2021 and 301,000 times over 1.75 million hours in 2022. Southern Water was fined £90 million in 2021. Thames Water was fined £3.4 million in 2023. The fines have not stopped the discharges.
Raw sewage was discharged into England’s rivers and seas almost 300,000 times in 2025 — despite one of the driest springs in over a century. The fact that discharges are happening on dry days strongly suggests illegal dumping beyond what the permitted overflow system allows.
What Does Sewage in the Water Actually Do to You?
Swimming in sewage-contaminated water can cause:
Gastrointestinal illness — nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. The most common outcome. Unpleasant and debilitating, typically lasting a few days.
Ear and eye infections — E. coli and other bacteria thrive in sewage-contaminated water and enter the body through the ears, eyes, and mouth. Open water swimmers are particularly vulnerable.
Skin infections — contact with contaminated water can cause skin rashes and infections, particularly in any cuts or abrasions.
Respiratory infections — inhaling contaminated water or spray can cause chest infections.
In severe cases — hospitalisation. The case from Bognor Regis is not unique. SAS data records hospitalisations every year linked to sewage-contaminated water. Between 2020 and 2025, SAS received 7,649 sickness reports from water users, linked to 14,120 sick days.
The risk is higher for children, elderly people, pregnant women, and anyone with a compromised immune system.
The SSRS App — Download It Before You Swim
The Safer Seas and Rivers Service — the SSRS — is the free app run by Surfers Against Sewage that every open water swimmer, surfer, paddleboarder, kayaker, and anyone who spends time in UK
