Swimming in open water: what exactly are you getting into?

The following facts and figures relate to the UK so I apologise in advance if you are located in another country. I am aware that SwimMastery is developing into a truly international community. Nevertheless, it is probably naive to think that these issues relate only to this part of the world…

The cleanliness of our rivers and lakes is rapidly approaching crisis point. Lack of investment and an eye too focussed on profit margins coupled with regulations which are all too often overlooked, contradictory or ignored means that the pollution of open water in the UK is often the norm rather than the exception.   

In January 2022 the BBC reported shocking figures relating to the number of rivers classed as having high quality water standards. In Scotland, the level was two-thirds (66%) but in Wales, this figure dropped to 40% whilst in Northern Ireland it was only 33%. The truly jaw-dropping figure however related to England where the proportion of high-quality rivers was just 14%.

This is obviously disastrous for the environment and the local ecosystems with a devastating on wildlife and natural vegetation but also impacts the availability of sites where open-water swimming can be deemed to be safe.

The sources of pollution are varied but they can be broadly classified as coming from agriculture and mining including excessive use of fertilisers and pesticides (around 40% of English pollution), “run-off” from roads which includes oil and other pollutants (18%) and untreated sewage (around 35%). It is likely to take years if not decades for the quality of the water in some areas to recover, if it ever does.

Although not classed as the major source it is the latter category of sewage discharges which is probably the most emotive in the minds of many and it is this which appears to be the main focus for immediate action.

It seems that the government and the authorities are finally beginning to sit up and take notice. However, this will not happen overnight. The UK has a combined sewerage system which means that pipes will carry both sewerage and rainwater. In times of heavy rainfall, there is a danger that they may back up causing flooding of homes and businesses. Therefore it is permitted for sewerage to be released into the environment to prevent this happening. Equipment failures and blockages can further exacerbate the problem. There is also evidence that some water companies flout the rules and release pollution even in periods of low rainfall. In 2021 Southern Water was fined £90M for incidents relating to the period 2010 to 2015. An estimated 16-21 billion litres was illegally dumped, the equivalent of 7,400 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Despite this, a recent BBC investigation estimated that in 2022 Southern Water, along with Thames Water and Wessex Water were responsible for a further 388 incidents where sewerage was dumped in dry spells when flooding was not a risk.

After a lengthy delay whilst the parameters of what constitutes an acceptable level of water contamination were decided upon, the 2021 Environmental Bill was passed by the UK Parliament. This aims to tackle many of the problems faced by water companies in managing their water and to hold them more accountable for their actions. Various pressure groups such as Surfers Against Sewerage are also attempting to keep the issue in the spotlight.

However, this is not a two-dimensional issue and competing demands for modern-day living mean that continued improvement cannot be taken for granted. Even as the government announced the introduction of the Environmental Bill, the Housing Minister, Michael Gove, was planning to scrap the Nutrient Neutrality laws which govern the activities of home builders. His proposal (defeated in the House of Lords on Sept 13 2023) would have scrapped the need for builders to prove that polluting nitrates and phosphates would not seep into nearby water. These laws, it has been claimed, have prevented the building of thousands of new homes since their introduction in 2017.

So where does all this leave UK open-water swimmers? Is it a choice between swimming in a cocktail of chemicals or a soup of sewage? Are there any safe places to swim? My aim here is not to put you off the joys of open water swimming (regardless of how it might come across!), merely to highlight some of the complex issues behind water quality so that it is possible to make informed decisions about when and where to swim.

Fortunately, there are still plenty of safe areas. England has an estimated 2,000 miles of rivers so even the paltry figure of 14% still represents 280 miles of high-quality water. Nevertheless, it is worth doing as much research as possible to ensure that your proposed dip is not going to end in illness or unpleasantness.

NB The aforementioned Surfers Against Sewerage have a section on their website for sewerage pollution alerts. This gives real-time data on sewerage spills across the UK and is an invaluable source of information. The site also provides a wider range of facts and statistics than I have covered here. It doesn’t make for comfortable reading but it is vital nevertheless.

One of the perceived weaknesses in the system to date has been the fact that it is up to the water companies to self-report breaches of leaks plus criticism by the Environmental Audit Committee of “multiple failures” by UK national environmental agencies in the monitoring and enforcement of water quality. Many of these failures have been blamed on budget cuts at a national level.

The water companies of England and Wales are now committed to a £4bn investment programme running until 2025 to reduce leaks. Whilst this is to be welcomed the aging sewerage system cannot be upgraded quickly or easily. The environment secretary for the UK government Therese Coffey admitted that there was “no way we can stop pollution overnight”, given the major changes needed to the water system. She warned that building more infrastructure such as super sewers could add "hundreds to people’s bills.

Swimmers and environmentalists will need to keep campaigning and maintaining pressure on the government and water companies to ensure that they do not lose focus on this vitally important issue.