Sewage was discharged into England’s designated bathing waters for more than 2,000 hours over the summer holiday period, raising health concerns and sparking criticism of water companies and government oversight. The pollution incidents, recorded during routine testing at popular swimming and paddling sites, coincided with reports of illnesses linked to contaminated water.

Charity Surfers Against Sewage reported that hundreds of individuals fell sick after swimming in rivers, lakes, and coastal areas throughout July and August. Among the affected was Keeva Hollow, eight, who became seriously ill after swimming at Avon Beach in Dorset, a site rated “excellent” by the Environment Agency. After swallowing seawater, she was hospitalized and subsequently tested positive for campylobacter, a bacteria commonly found in polluted water. Keeva’s mother, Aisling McCarthy, expressed frustration over the response from authorities, saying concerns raised were not adequately addressed. “We want answers and accountability so that no other child faces hospitalisation from simply swimming in the sea,” she said.

Water companies operating in England are permitted to release untreated sewage into rivers and coastal waters only during periods of heavy rainfall via storm overflow systems, aimed at preventing sewer flooding. However, over the course of three heatwaves between May and August, these discharges were recorded for nearly 14,000 hours across the country.

Giles Bristow, chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, announced plans to deliver a petition to 10 Downing Street calling for the introduction of a comprehensive Clean Water Bill. He emphasized that recreational water users should not be subjected to health risks from pollution. “This is a glaring public health crisis and a direct result of water companies prioritizing profits over environmental and public safety,” Bristow said. The petition has garnered over 330,000 signatures urging the government to overhaul the privatised water sector to prevent further contamination.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs acknowledged the unacceptable levels of pollution affecting England’s waterways. She highlighted ongoing government efforts to address water companies’ failures and described plans for the most significant regulatory reforms in the sector in decades. These include measures to improve water quality for swimmers and the establishment of a stronger regulatory body tasked with holding water companies accountable.