Over half of people are worried they will become sick if they swim in UK waters because of poor water quality, a poll has found. At least 54% of adults had concerns, the survey of 2,000 people for Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) showed.

It comes as the bathing water season in England officially begins on Thursday, which means the Environment Agency (EA) starts testing water quality at designated bathing sites. Applications for new bathing sites are also reopening for the first time since October 2023.

Wild swimming has surged in popularity across the UK in recent years but the rises in sewage discharges and pollution have also made many blue spaces unsafe.

Meanwhile thousands of water users around the UK will paddle out in a nationwide protest against sewage pollution on Saturday to mark the occasion.

Giles Bristow, CEO of SAS, said: “Another year, another summer of swimming and surfing in sewage while our shameless water companies laugh all the way to the bank.

The public has simply had enough  and will be paddling out in their thousands to send a clear message to government and the polluters: end this sewage scandal now!

“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.

“The proof is in the missed targets, shocking statistics and devastating stories of sickness we continue to see year after year. We’ve had enough of their lies, greed and incompetence and know that this nightmare will not end until the whole water system is radically reformed.

“The thousands paddling out across the UK are letting the water companies, government and Independent Water Commission know, loud and clear, that we will not accept another year of risking our health to swim in the sea.

Sewage was discharged over half a million times into UK waters in 2024, with English water companies failing on their Environment Agency (EA) targets to reduce sewage pollution incidents.

Instead of achieving a 40% reduction, incidents increased by 30% – the highest in a decade.

Sewage spilled into the UK’s sea, rivers and lakes for 4.7 million hours at the same time as shareholders of private water companies cashed in on £1.2 billion in dividends.

Throughout the water bathing season, which runs from 15 May until the end of September, the EA will be taking more than 7,000 samples at 451 designated bathing waters across England.

Alan Lovell, EA Chair, said:  “We know just how important England’s swimming spots are to people and to local economies, so our teams are out taking regular samples at bathing waters across England from today.

“The information from those tests helps us keep people safe, target our regulation and encourage investment to drive up water quality standards. It’s part of our core commitment to protect people and the environment.”

A Water UK spokesman said: “No sewage spill is ever acceptable, and water companies are investing £12 billion to almost halve spills from storm overflows by 2030. This is part of the largest amount of money ever spent on the natural environment to help support economic growth, build more homes, secure our water supplies, and end sewage entering our rivers and seas.”