Weston-super-Mare locals paddle out in nationwide protest against sewage

Residents in Weston-super-Mare were among thousands of water users who paddled out in a nationwide protest against sewage pollution on Saturday 17 May as the official bathing season starts

Water users in Weston-super-Mare paddled out at Marine Lake after Wessex Water allegedly discharged sewage across their region 43,931 times in 2024, 1,676 of those into designated bathing waters.

Photo: Cleaner Coastlines

The Paddle-Out Protests took place as the official bathing season in England and Wales - which runs from 15 May to 30 September- begins, with the public flocking to the UK's blue spaces to enjoy the water in the summer months.

Co-ordinated by environmental charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), the protests are calling for transformational reform of the broken water industry, as sewage pollution remains a threat to the UK’s blue spaces and public health. 

Weston-super-Mare has three designated bathing waters at Weston Main, Uphill Slipway and Sand Bay, all of which are rated “poor” with bathing not advised and Weston Main in particular having received that rating for the past four years. 

Giles Bristow, CEO at Surfers Against Sewage said: “Another year, another summer of swimming and surfing in sewage while our shameless water companies laugh all the way to the bank. The public has simply had enough and will be paddling out in their thousands to send a clear message to government and the polluters: end this sewage scandal now!

“Our failing water industry has been trumpeting billions in investment to clean up their act, but we know that these fat cat bosses can’t be trusted to keep their promises. The proof is in the missed targets, shocking statistics and devastating stories of sickness we continue to see year after year. We’ve had enough of their lies, greed and incompetence and know that this nightmare will not end until the whole water system is radically reformed.

Photo: Cleaner Coastlines

“The people paddling out at Weston-super-Mare are part of a groundswell of Ocean Activists across the UK, letting the water companies, government and Independent Water Commission know, loud and clear, that we will not settle for yet another year of risking our health to swim in the sea.”

“People should be free to use the water without fear of getting sick, and that’s why we developed the Safer Seas & Rivers Service, a free app that provides real-time pollution alerts, giving peace of mind for those worried about sewage pollution.”

Debbie Apted, Community Lead for Cleaner Coastlines said:  “We had an epic time and I was proud and humbled by how many in our community turned out, contributing to the truly positive vibes emphasising the passion here in Weston with a determination to raise our voices and put pressure on our MP, Dan Aldridge, to back the full reform of the water industry. 

We are an iconic British seaside resort and businesses, visitors and residents alike rely on being able to enjoy a day at the beach without any risk to health.  We absolutely must identify the reasons for the “poor” designations at our three bathing waters here in Weston, and for Wessex Water and the Environment Agency to continue their work to identify the source of the unacceptably high bacteria levels at certain times then putting measures in place to make the required improvements. 

I would very much like that urgent work be undertaken to see what rivers and other sites feeding into the Bristol Channel might be polluted and having a knock-on effect to our bathing waters, as well as more action from the water company, or relevant authority, to identify where there may be misconnections to both residential and commercial properties.”

Dan Aldridge MP was unavailable due to commitments in Westminster, but the event received this message on his behalf which said; “As we gather here at beautiful Marine Lake, we must confront the stark reality that water quality here in Weston has been rated as poor and has been that way for a while.  I am doing what I can in Westminster by pushing the Government to go harder and making changes to the regulations which mean we have more time and resource to investigate why we are rated as poor when others around us aren’t.”   

“Community engagement is where you all have been so amazing already, and it’s only because of the pressure you put on people in positions of influence like me, that we are finally moving on this!”   

The event was opened by Deputy Mayor, Own James and Sue Shillabeer, the President of Weston-super-Mare Chamber of Commerce.