Protestors take to sea demanding end to sewage pollution across Scotland with Surfers Against Sewage

Thousands of people across the UK have taken to the water in a mass “paddle out” in protest against the state of our waterways.

Over 30 protests took place at local beaches and rivers, spanning locations from Cornwall to Edinburgh.

The day of action was organised by environmental group Surfers Against Sewage in reaction to rising levels of pollution in rivers and seas.

Charlie Allanson-Oddy from Surfers Against Sewage said: “We’re calling for significant change, pressure from the Scottish Government to help the Scottish Environment Protection Agency improve monitoring standards.

In March, Scottish Water told STV News that 87% of Scotland’s water bodies are rated good or better. STV News

“Scottish Water have promised to install monitoring on 1000 more combined sewage overflows however I feel that’s a lot of money spent confirming what we already realise from the four percent that is monitored, which is that we have very high levels (of sewage).

“As part of the local group the Porty Water Collective, we’ve been testing most weeks out with the bathing water season and 81 percent of our results show what SEPA would consider to be unsafe levels of e coli contamination at the Figgate Burn which runs into the sea just a few meters from where I’m standing now.”

In 2023, there were 584,001 recorded sewage discharges across England, Scotland and Wales – a 51% increase on the previous year.

More than 15 thousand spills were recorded in Scotland last year.

The day of action was organised by Surfers Against Sewage in reaction to rising levels of pollution in rivers and seas. STV News

In March, Scottish Water told STV News that 87% of Scotland’s water bodies are rated good or better.

Professor Simon Parsons, director of environment, planning and assurance at Scottish Water, said: “We continue to invest in infrastructure – £500 million in addition to the £2 billion spent in the last decade – which helps improve it further to meet national targets.

“Our wastewater treatment systems handle more than one billion litres of wastewater every day and are a vital part of the water cycle in Scotland.

“The route map we published in 2021 set out a crystal-clear commitment to invest further, monitor performance at more locations and strive to prevent pollution incidents before these happen. We are on track to deliver on those commitments.”

Surfers Against Sewage are calling for an end to sewage discharges into all bathing waters and priority nature areas in the UK by 2030.