#EndSewagePollution: The OSS supports SAS campaign

01st July, 2020

The Outdoor Swimming Society supports Surfers Against Sewage in their campaign to end sewage pollution of UK seas

Surfers Against Sewage are calling on the UK Government to end sewage pollution and guarantee safe rivers and seas all year round. And they need your help to make sure the message gets through.

“We’re stoked to work with The Outdoor Swimming Society to campaign for an end to sewage and agricultural pollution from source to sea. Our rivers are the blue arteries of the country and should be protected and restored to full health for people to enjoy safely” Hugo Tagholm, SAS

“We’re stoked to work with The Outdoor Swimming Society to campaign for an end to sewage and agricultural pollution of our aquatic playground, from source to sea,” says Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage. “Our rivers are the blue arteries of the country and should be protected and restored to full health for people to enjoy safely. Thriving rivers support the wellbeing and health of people and communities nationwide.”

The #EndSewagePollution campaign seeks to ensure the health and wellbeing of the public and to help restore the rivers and ocean by introducing:

  • An enhanced water-testing regime
  • World-leading water quality legislation
  • Nature-based solutions to sewage pollution

The campaign petition has already gathered more than 15,000 signatures in the month since it launched. But, in order to push the Government to introduce these new measures, more signatures are needed. You can add your voice to the campaign by signing the petition and sharing the petition online using the #EndSewagePollution and #GenerationSea hashtags.

Surfers Against Sewage started life as a response by the surfing community to the dreadful state of UK beaches and their campaigning helped dramatically improve the quality of beaches in the UK. Today, membership of Surfers Against Sewage is drawn from across the wide community of environmentally-minded water users. There are a lot of surfers, but equally as many triathletes, swimmers and beach lovers.

“Today, membership of Surfers Against Sewage is drawn from across environmentally-minded water users. There are a lot of surfers, but equally as many triathletes, swimmers and beach lovers”

This is also reflected in the coalition of supporters for this campaign, which includes The Outdoor Swimming Society, The River’s Trust, Waterkeeper Alliance, Wildlife and Countryside LINK, and many more.

Despite the improvements in water quality since the 1990s, the UK continues to experience problems with sewage and agricultural waste. At the same time, research by Surfers Against Sewage found that there is also public support for change. Their #GenerationSea survey found that over 55% of the public want more water quality testing and more real-time information on sewage discharge and surfing conditions.

To support Surfers Against Sewage in their #EndSewagePollution campaign, please sign the petition and help spread the word by sharing the petition online.

Surfers Against Sewage #EndSewagePollution

June 2020