Olympic swimmers to take on length of Thames in sewage protest
Olympic-level swimmers are set to navigate the length of the Thames next week in a bid to highlight calls for better protection from pollution of the UK’s waterways, lakes and seas.
Eight elite swimmers are taking part in the non-stop relay, which will begin at the source of the Thames in Gloucestershire on Monday and culminate in Teddington on Thursday, when they will paddle to Westminster to voice their concerns to MPs.
It is being organised by campaign group Surfers Against Sewage, which says that the water industry is in need of a drastic overhaul.
“The Thames is absolutely iconic. I’m doing this swim to tell the story of the river – the positive communities working to clean it up and the challenges it faces,” said Team GB’s Toby Robinson.
“I’m also trying to build upon the legacy of the Paris Olympics last year. The Games set a precedent that our urban rivers can be cleaned up enough for city dwellers to enjoy and dip in.
“This should be a right for all people. Cleaning up the Thames brings this dream one step closer for Londoners.”
Last year water companies discharged sewage half a million times and Surfers Against Sewage says the crisis has continued this year despite the Cunliffe Review, which last month called for a “total reset” of the industry.
“As parliament returns after another summer plagued by sewage pollution, the Thames Swim Against Sewage delivers an urgent message to our leaders: end the sewage scandal now,” said director of campaigns and communities Dani Jordan.
“It is highly symbolic that the swimmers will be passing Thames Water’s HQ, the poster child of a broken industry that has prioritised shareholder profits for decades while the public and environment pay the price.
Which Olympians are swimming the Thames?
“We need the government to urgently deliver fundamental transformation of our failing water industry, not hollow speeches and tinkering at the edges.
“By joining forces with Olympians and world-class swimmers in this epic event, we are not only shining a spotlight on the sewage scandal but also on the bravery, determination and unity of those across the UK who refuse to accept our wild waters being treated like open sewers.”
Other elite swimmers taking on the relay with Robinson include fellow Olympian Hector Pardoe and world-record holding ultramarathon and ice swimmer Jessika Robson.
Participants and Surfers Against Sewage will track pollution in the Thames, monitoring E. coli, ammonia, and oxygen levels during the three-day event.
“I’m joining this relay because swimming has always been a big part of my life, but I’ve also seen first-hand how water pollution affects the places we love,” said Robson.
“Taking part in this swim is my way of giving back to the water that’s given me so much and raising awareness for the need to keep it clean for everyone.”
Among Surfers Against Sewage’s demands are Bathing Water Regulations that include real-time, year-round water quality testing.