Campaigners warn of 'toxic chemical soup' in our rivers

All of the UK's rivers are now polluted with sewage, with campaigners warning of a "toxic chemical soup" in our waters.

- HOLLY EVANS

Leading campaign group Surfers Against Sewage is calling on the government and water companies to tackle the issue, as new data showed only 40 per cent of rivers are deemed to be in good ecological health.

According to the website Top of the Poops, which collects information on sewage dumps, found there were at least 513,234 spills into rivers in 2024, lasting more than 4 million hours.

Sewage can harm wildlife and river ecosystems because chemicals, including everything from pharmaceutical drugs to phosphates, entering the water from sewage systems are toxic. It can fuel the rapid growth of algae, which can choke out other forms of life by consuming all the oxygen.

It can also be a source of E coli, which can cause diarrhoea, stomach cramps and fever when ingested by swimmers.

Wessex Water was listed as the worst offender, with 5,221 sewage spills into the River Avon, which runs through the southwest of England between Bath and Bristol.