Britain waterways are murky. In 2023 sewage spills went up 54% compared to 2022. Anyone who practices watersports has suffered or heard of someone who has had an infection due to contact with polluted waters. Surfers Against Surfers, the organization that has created an app to give water users updated information on spills around the country, organized a protest in Brighton beach. Local representative Stuart Davies has already counted 92 spills in a nearby beach designated for bathing, almost double from the previous year. “We need an adequate investment plan that investigates how and why these spills are happening, that focuses on infrastructure and sewage system and looks for solutions sustainable with nature”, he say.

Tim, a surfer for 30 years, has had his fair share of health problems: eye infection, ear infection, gastroenteritis, impetigo… “In the 90 there was a lot of contamination everywhere, then it got better and now it’s got worse again”.

Although it is not a public health issue yet, WHO warns that resistance to antibiotics, due to exposure to bacteria in polluted waters, poses a significant risk to human life. Engineers have suggested simple solutions to minimize spills such as depaving hard surfaces in cities and replace them with pervious materials, continuous monitoring of seas, rivers and lakes and improvement of waterworks treatments.