Surfers Against Sewage swim reaches Chiswick

‘An epic, first of its kind endurance event’ to raise awareness of water pollution

Surfers Against Sewage, eight world-class swimmers who are swimming the length of the River Thames to raise awareness of the level of pollution in our rivers, lakes and seas, are due to reach Chiswick on Thursday (4 September).

The swim is a non-stop, 208 km, three-day relay, finishing at the heart of Government in Westminster – ‘an epic, first of its kind endurance event’, say the organisers, Friends of the Thames.

They are calling on the Government to end sewage pollution ‘in the places we love to swim, surf and play’. They will be a gathering flotilla of boats and canoes to escort the swimmers, and a group of canoeists will be joining in from Chiswick Pier as they pass.

The flotilla is assembling at Putney Pier at 2pm, aiming to reach Westminster Bridge at 4.30 and supporters are urged to go along to cheer them on.

During the swim, they will be collecting and sharing data from the river using a Seneye water quality sensor to provide up to date quality readings, direct from the Thames.

As the date is relayed every 15 minutes, it also gives the location of the swimmers, so supporters can track their progress.

The timing of the journey is designed to coincide with MPs getting back to work at Westminster, where they are due to review the recommendations of an independent commission on the future of the water industry.

‘We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to fix this broken system’, say Friends of the Thames, but the proposals on the table ‘fall massively short.

‘It’s a call for urgent action, bringing together athletes, citizen scientists, activists and communities in the fight to end sewage pollution.  Our water system is broken, and the time for action is now’.

Monitoring of our waterways shows that in 2024 alone, the UK endured almost half a million raw sewage discharges, ‘as ageing infrastructure, weak regulation and profit-driven industry left our rivers, lakes and seas under constant threat’.

The group warns that proposed changes to government monitoring ‘risk leaving some of our most popular wild swimming spots untested and unprotected – compromising your right to clean, safe water’.

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