Water companies have dumped over 43,000 hours of sewage in waters around England this summer, of which 2,000 hours – the equivalent to two and a half months’ worth – have been poured into the country’s designated bathing waters.

England’s water companies are permitted to spill sewage into rivers and seas but only through storm overflows and after periods of heavy rainfall. The critical issue is that across three heatwaves between May and August this year, sewage was spilled into those bathing waters for nearly 14,000 hours.

These are the same beaches that have been enjoyed by thousands of families across the country this summer period. And, with climate change set only to push those temperatures higher next summer, campaigners are calling for an end to what has been long regarded as ‘the country’s profit-driven sewage scandal.’

This past summer, 290 sewage alerts were issued through the Surfers Against Sewage Safer Seas and Rivers Service app, with nearly 85% of these logged at designated bathing waters rated as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ water quality by the Environment Agency.

Locations with the most discharges have included some of the most popular destinations for British holiday makers, such as Wallasey Beach and Moreton Beach in Merseyside, Readymoney Cove in Cornwall, and Plymouth Hoe East in Devon.

Across the August Bank Holiday weekend alone (Friday August 28th to Monday 31st) sewage was discharged into bathing waters for the equivalent of 34 days (821 hours), triggering sewage alerts at 105 locations in England.

Around 640 sickness reports were logged to the charity’s app by people who said they became sick after swimming in the nation’s rivers, lakes, and seas during July and August, with reported cases of gastroenteritis, and skin, ear and eye infections, with some severe cases requiring hospitalisation. Over 60% of those reports came from bathing waters rated ‘good’ or ‘excellent.’

Among the summer’s sickness cases was eight-year-old Keeva Hollow, who became seriously ill swimming at Avon Beach in Dorset – a bathing site rated ‘excellent’ by the Environment Agency. She swallowed sea water while swimming and was later hospitalised, with tests confirming she had contracted campylobacter, a bacteria found in contaminated seawater.

Keeva’s mother, Aisling McCarthy, said: “Watching your child becoming so seriously ill is terrifying. No parent should have to see their child go through what Keeva did after simply going on a trip to the local beach.”

When McCarthy contacted the authorities about the incident and the impact on her child’s health, she recalls being handed advice “about washing hands and taking care when cooking chicken”, adding that “the concern was not taken seriously.”

“Our family enjoys our local beaches, but now we are scared to. If there are issues affecting our sea and rivers, and putting the safety of our children at risk, we want answers. We want people to be held accountable. Above all, we don’t want another child to be hospitalised just from swimming in the sea.”

Keeva’s story is not an unfamiliar one, yet could have ended in tragedy. Julie Maughan is the mother of eight-year-old Heather Preen who died from an aggressive E. coli infection after contact with contaminated water on a Devon beach in 1999. It was her case that inspired the Channel 4 docu-drama, Dirty Business as well as the almost 30-year momentum behind the campaign organisation, Surfers Against Sewage. 

This week, Julie and Surfers Against Sewage delivered a petition signed by over 330,000 members of the public to No. 10 Downing Street, demanding an ambitious Clean Water Bill and calling on Prime Minister Andy Burnham to ‘put people before payouts.’

“It’s devastating to see that after all these years, water companies are still putting children’s lives at risk by polluting, and that the government is not doing enough to stop it,” said Julie. “No one should have to live through what our family has. Andy Burnham has the chance to bring about real change and that can end sewage pollution. The public is telling the Prime Minister to put an end to this. Children are getting sick, and families are worried about visiting the beach. All while water bosses get rich.

‘Andy, you have made some promising comments. Please listen to the public and deliver the change we need.”

Among those lending their voice and platform to the campaign is British singer, Becky Hill who was first made aware of the country’s ongoing sewage scandal by Channel 4’s Dirty Business and in particular the story of Julie and Heather.

“Julie comes from an area very close to where I grew up. Her daughter could have been my parents’ kids. It could have been me, it could have been my brothers or my sisters. And what irritates me most is that my sister now has her own daughters, and it can still be them today,” she told Oceanographic. “So for me, it was a no-brainer. I actually don’t know how people can’t be angry about this.

‘I think it’s time to restore some faith in UK politics. The Great British public have lost a lot of faith in the political system and a lot of people feel completely helpless with this. But we have clubbed together, we have thousands of names. This is what the people want. People are completely upset with this scandal and it is time to make some real change, to show that when people speak up, real change can happen.”

As Parliament returns from summer recess, Surfers Against Sewage is urging that the Clean Water Bill – due before Parliament in the coming months – stays high on the political agenda. The charity wants the Bill used to accelerate legislation that takes back control of failing water companies and removes the profit motive from the sector.

Click here for more from the Oceanographic Newsroom.