Over half of Britons fear swimming in UK waters

Less than one in five adults believe they will be able to swim safely in UK waters by 2030 without risking their health, as over half of Britons worry that sewage pollution will lead to illness. A recent poll of 2,000 people conducted by Surfers Against Sewage revealed that only 21 per cent trusted the government to ensure water suppliers reduce sewage spills, with more than half a million discharges into our seas, lakes and rivers in 2024. An avid swimmer, Kate Jones has become unwell on several occasions after swimming off the coast of Pembrokeshire, with her husband recently sick after a morning surf shortly after sewage had been dumped.

- Holly Evans, The Independent

"I've been caught a couple of times and am incredibly passionate about this issue. Sometimes on my day off I meet people for a swim and there's been several occasions where there has been brown scum along the shoreline, pretty much every time it rains. "I've had it twice where I've become unwell after swallowing a gobful of water. My husband went out surfing last week when there was a sewage overflow at the local school, and he ended up off work for three days. I was also sick last week with my daughter." The Paddle Out protest will see thousands of people across the UK enter the water to campaign for better water quality (PA) In Wales, Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water was responsible for 118,276 sewage discharges, an average of more than one sewage spill every five minutes.