Surfers call for “transformational change” for water amid “systemic failures”

Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) listed a “litany of systemic failures” – headlined by public health being compromised – as it published its 2025 Water Quality Report. It called on the Independent Water Commission to pursue “transformational reform” of the sector.

The clean seas group said its Our Safer Seas & Rivers Service App received 1,853 illness reports from water users in 2024 – “five people a day getting sick after entering polluted water”.

According to SAS data, there were 592,478 sewage spills in 2024, totalling 4.7m hours. Regional data included the following:

• England – 2,487 pollution incidents – “more than double the target set by the Environment Agency” and marking “the highest number in a decade, despite promises to clean up their act. The water industry was meant to reduce pollution by 40%. Instead? We’ve seen a 30% increase.”

• Wales – 118,276 sewage spills from Welsh Water in 2024, “the highest of any UK water company”.

• Scotland – 23,498 spills, but that is from only 6.7% of the network. SAS said: “Based on current rates, the real number could be as high as 364,629 sewage spills. That’s a sewage dump every 90 seconds.”

• Northern Ireland – only 2,967 sewage discharges were officially recorded in 2024, but only 122 overflows were monitored. “If there was 100% monitoring, we estimate 61,732 spills – that’s more than one every ten minutes.”

SAS linked the performance in its report with corporate choices including £1.2bn shareholder payouts in the year, at a time of rising bills. According to the group: “Over a quarter of adults in England are so fed up, they’ve considered not paying their water bills.”

Responding, Water UK noted that the 2024 pollution figures published by SAS are unverified and may change. Official data will be published by the Environment Agency as part of the Environmental Performance Assessment in July. However, a spokesman said: “We have been clear that the water system is not working and support the Independent Water Commission looking at every aspect of how the industry is regulated. No sewage spill is ever acceptable, and water companies are investing £12bn 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.”