More than three-quarters of people would not feel comfortable swimming in UK water due to fears around increased sewage pollution, new research has found.
Craftinsure surveyed 500 regular water users on the current state of UK seas, rivers, lakes and other inland channels. It found that 76% would avoid wild swimming due to fear of sewage pollution, with a quarter stating they had been ill after doing so in the past.
Diarrhoea and vomiting were the most frequently cited issues, but some also highlighted having developed e-coli or skin infections due to polluted water in the last 12 months.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, just one in 10 respondents said they would be happy for their children or an elderly family member to swim in UK waters.
The research comes during the school holidays, when many families will be heading to the coast or countryside for a short break. But with recent and widespread reports of sewage being deliberately pumped into seas and waterways, or escaping from drainage infrastructure, this summer is set to see a drop in participation of water sports and swimming activities across the country.
Craftinsure also looked at attitudes of regular water users towards the management of sewage infrastructure in the UK. It found that just 8% of those surveyed believe water companies have good intentions when it comes to public health. Just two in 10 think that measures to keep open waters clean are currently adequate. A further two-thirds say they worry about the future of UK water safety.
Finally, the survey showed that one in five people use UK seas and waterways frequently now than they did five years ago. Fear around pollution was cited as the main reason for this, with the cost-of-living and poor weather also highlighted as barriers.
A selection of respondent comments:
“On the river, there is always sewage floating on the surface. I kayak here but I wouldn’t want to go in the water – I’d be worried about what I would catch.”
“Our waterways provide a basic building block for human life (like unpolluted air), they should not be used as a means for profit.”
“A friend ended up on ITU after contracting a sewage related bug.”
Rob Cage, CEO of Craftinsure, commented: “We know from both personal experience and industry research that spending time on the water – or in it – is hugely beneficial for our health. What’s more, the summer holidays should be a time to enjoy everything that the UK has to offer, whether at the seaside or further inland.
“It’s therefore extremely disheartening to find this degree of nervousness amongst Brits when it comes to swimming in UK water, especially when it’s a problem that could – and should – be made a priority to solve. Polluted water is dangerous, but the real damage comes from our inability to benefit from everything that clean, open water has to offer.”
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