Anti-sewage campaigners stage 'paddle out protest'
BBCWater quality campaigners have staged a "paddle out protest" on Bristol Harbour to demand a complete overhaul of the water industry to cut sewage spills.
Organised by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage, protestors gathered at Baltic Wharf with signs reading "species not faeces" and "waste in the water - otterly disgusting".
It was one of more than 40 similar protests around the UK calling for an end to raw sewage discharge into waterways, and clearer monitoring and transparency of spills.
One protestor said she just wanted to be able to swim in the waters around Bristol "without thinking I'm going to get ill".
Surfers Against SewageAnna Steele-Perkins told BBC Bristol: "It's actually quite an anxious experience to swim around Bristol -I've got to keep my head above water and I've got a lot of friends who have got quite ill from doing it."
She added that she monitors sewage spills on the SAS app, but added: "I don't want to have to do that, I just want to be able to swim."
SAS Bristol member Karlie Evans said: "I'm a huge water user. I'm a rower, I paddle board, I surf, I swim. I just want to be able to use the water safely."
The protest coincides with the start of the official bathing season in England and Wales, which runs from 15 May to 30 September.
Water companies spilled raw sewage for a record 3.61m hours into sea and rivers in England in 2024, according to data from the Environment Agency.
Giles Bristow, chief executive at Surfers Against Sewage said: "Another year, another summer of swimming and surfing in sewage while our shameless water companies laugh all the way to the bank."
He added: "Our failing water industry has been trumpeting billions in investment to clean up their act, but we know that these fat cat bosses can't be trusted to keep their promises."
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, said: "I share the public's anger about the appalling state our waterways have been left in after years of neglect."
He added: "The landmark Water Act is now law, meaning polluting water bosses face up to two years in prison and undeserved multi-million-pound bonuses will be banned."
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: "Last year, nearly 92% of bathing waters met minimum standards, but we all want to see better bathing water quality.
"That's why we welcome the opportunity to improve their management through the incoming reforms and the re-opening of new site applications."
The water companies serving the region, Thames Water and Wessex Water, have been approached for comment.
A Thames Water spokesperson said the company will investing a record amount over the next five years to increase treatment capacity, reduce the number of discharges caused by storms and also tackle nutrient pollution.
The spokesperson said: "We are committed to seeing waterways thrive, but we can't do it alone.
"Farming, industry, road runoff, wildlife and increasingly extreme weather also play a role in river health."
They added: "We understand that all untreated discharges are unacceptable, even when they are permitted, the sewage system was historically designed to prevent sewage backing up into people's homes.
"Transparency is at the heart of what we do, and we were the first water company to publish a real time data map on our website, before it became legal requirement to do so."
Wessex Water have yet to respond.
Follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.