By Helen Tandy, Founding Director, Eco Communities
Thousands of people across the UK took part in mass ‘Paddle Out’ protests on Saturday, calling for urgent reform of the UK water industry amid rising public anger over raw sewage discharges into rivers, lakes and seas.
At more than 40 locations, from beaches to inland rivers, people rallied with surfboards and placards as part of a nationwide campaign organised by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS).
These protests come in response to a growing scandal: in 2024 alone, there were over half a million sewage discharges into UK waterways. Polling from Opinium shows that fewer than 1 in 5 people believe they’ll be able to swim safely in their local bathing spot by 2030 without risking their health due to pollution. Trust in government action is low, with just 21% of respondents confident that water companies will be held accountable.
The Environment Agency reported that water companies released a record amount of raw sewage in 2023. Of the 451 designated bathing waters in England, 37 are now rated as ‘poor’, largely due to sewage spills, with dangerous levels of E. coli and intestinal enterococci.
Chester Joins the Wave of Action
In Chester, local water users and campaigners joined the protest at Sandy Lane, organised by a core team of four: Adam Caris, Diane Parrish, Barry Johnston, and myself, representing Eco Communities. It was inspiring to see such a strong turnout, including colourful costumes like our mermaids and our now-iconic “Jobbie the Poo” mascot—symbolising public frustration and the demand for clean water.
Adam Caris, a regular River Dee swimmer, initiated Chester’s involvement by reaching out to SAS. Diane and Barry have been instrumental in ongoing water quality testing and the unfortunately unsuccessful 2023 application for bathing water status at Sandy Lane.
Take Action: What You Can Do
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📲 Download the SAS “Safer Seas & Rivers Service” app to check real-time water quality.
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📧 Email your MP and demand transformational reform of the water industry in England and Wales.
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💧 Support the Clean Dee campaign—the name adopted by Cheshire West & Chester Council for the River Dee bathing designation effort in 2023.
- Join us at the screening of ‘Rave on for the Avon‘ the film beautifully, joyfully and sadly conveys the problems facing our rivers and the incredible people willing to go to extraordinary lengths for them. When the water company and local authorities fail the community, the wild swimmers of Bristol fight back through activism, swimming like a mermaid and getting married. Read More and Book
Surfers Against Sewage and campaigners nationwide are calling for radical change that puts public health and the environment above profit. Let’s end sewage pollution—for good.
We were proud to have the support of many local organisations and groups, including:
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Chester Triathlon Club
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Friends of Sandy Lane
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ChesterBoat
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The Tipsy Badger
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Luna Tree
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Chester Green Weekend
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Royal Chester Rowing Club
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Friends of the Earth Chester & District
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Cheshire West & Chester Green Party
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The Welsh Dee Trust / Ymddiriedolaeth Dyfrdwy Cymru
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Chester Fairtrading
Why This Matters: Shocking Sewage Data for Chester
In 2024, Welsh Water discharged raw sewage thousands of times into waterways around Chester. Examples include:
In Chester City Centre:
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Deva Terrace: 87 spills into the River Dee
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Dee Lane: 101 spills (25 hours total)
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Dingle In: 113 spills (50 hours)
Further upstream (all flowing into the River Dee):
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Aldford Sewage Treatment Works: 107 spills (976 hours)
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Saighton Sewage Treatment Works: 121 spills (hours not reported)
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Lavister: 245 spills (3,579 hours)
These figures underscore the urgency for reform. As the official bathing season begins (15 May – 30 September), the public deserves clean, safe access to our blue spaces.
