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Tag: Boat Race

Thames Water is Gaslighting the Public – Here’s the Truth

Posted on by Molly Allen
By Henry Shepherd, Community Campaigns Coordinator, River Action

 

Twisting and turning more than the Thames itself

As the boat race weekend approaches, Thames Water has gone on the offensive – not to clean up the Thames, but to spin the facts and put the public at risk.

Yesterday, we revealed that our 40+ water tests along the Boat Race course over the past month show the Thames would be classified as ‘poor water quality’ according to the Environment Agency regulations, with 29.5% of our samples exceeding safe limits for entering the water. This is despite it being the driest March in over 100 years….if they can’t keep the river clean in these conditions, how can they be trusted?

In a response statement, Thames Water attempted to cite ‘excellent’ water quality results, referencing data from a boat club in Hammersmith.

But here’s what they didn’t tell you.

That testing wasn’t done with Thames Water. The testing was carried out by our friends at Fulham Reach Boat Club and was actually funded by River Action. Thames Water conveniently cherry-picked a subset of this data, and, unbeknownst to them, we funded it!

Additionally, the data they selected came from a single weekly test at only one point along the course (4 tests in total). In contrast, our data, revealed yesterday, consisted of over 40 tests across the entire length of the Boat Race course from 10th March.

In short: Thames Water carefully curated the one stat that suited their PR and presented distorted information, putting public health at risk.

Thames Water simply cannot be trusted to tell the truth about basic water quality risks, and have once again willingly put river users’ health at risk, prioritising misleading headlines rather than fixing pipes.

The 2025 boat race course with River Action test sites

The Kew cover-up 

It gets worse.

On Tuesday, we were alerted to the possibility of a burst sewage pipe near Kew Bridge, with sewage reportedly spilling directly into the river just upstream of the Boat Race finish line.

We immediately called Thames Water’s pollution hotline to enquire about the issue, but were assured there were no problems to report. However, after investigating the site ourselves, we found Thames Water vans and huge sewage tankers stationed on the riverbank at Kew Bridge. After speaking with the crew, they confirmed the incident. At that time, it appeared that sewage was simply entering the river, just a mile upstream of the Boat Race finish line.

Thames Water’s initial denial of the problem highlights their true priorities: managing headlines, not public health. How much sewage has been allowed to flow into the river without the public being informed?

This issue is compounded by a separate sewage pipe even closer to the Boat Race finish line, downstream at Kew Transfer. The monitoring system for that pipe had been offline since January 19th, mysteriously coming back online the day we published our testing results (how convenient?) This means that no one knows how much sewage has been flowing into the river unchecked from that sewage overflow.

When people, including hundreds of junior rowers, and professional boat race crews, rely on this critical information to stay safe, it’s not just unacceptable – it’s dangerous.

Thames Water vans and sewage tankers near Kew Bridge on Tuesday

A failure of infrastructure, regulation, and honesty

With almost no rain recently, this pollution isn’t just a result of outdated infrastructure and unmonitored storm overflows. It reveals a much deeper issue: that even after treatment, final discharged waste water from sewage works is still far from safe. Treated effluent has no legal limit on E. Coli levels, so it frequently contains high levels of dangerous contaminants, including fecal matter and bacteria. The treatment process used by Thames Water, though permitted, falls far short of the standards needed to protect public health and the environment.

The real issue lies in the regulatory framework – unless a waterway has “bathing water status,” is home to a fish farm, or serves as a place of abstraction, there are no legal obligations to ensure that treated sewage is free from harmful substances. That’s why we’re campaigning for sewage treatment plants to be upgraded, better water quality monitoring, and enforceable limits on water quality – something that bathing water status would require.

But even with this, the Tideway Tunnel – which Thames Water touts as the solution – won’t protect us. The Tunnel is designed to manage storm overflows, not the continuous discharge of untreated or poorly treated sewage. It’s a temporary fix for a much deeper, systemic problem, and only reduces downstream pollution, which for half of the Boat Race course is irrelevant. The other half of the course – upstream of Hammersmith – is exposed to all the sewage pollution flowing along the Thames accumulated from the upstream catchment.

It is no surprise that all our tests taken upstream of the Tideway Tunnel show high levels of E.coli. This is the end of the Boat Race course and why we implore the Oxford and Cambridge teams not to throw their cox in the water. It is not safe.

Time for accountability

This isn’t just about rowing. This is about whether people can trust water companies to keep them safe. Thames Water has failed across the board:

  • They haven’t invested in modern monitoring systems.
  • They’ve lobbied for billions in bailouts while paying bonuses to executives.
  • They’ve allowed infrastructure to rot – and lied about it when questioned.

We believe Thames Water has forfeited its social licence to operate. It’s time to put the company into Special Administration, restructure it in the public interest, and end the cycle of pollution-for-profit.

River Action will continue exposing Thames Water’s spin  – not just this week, but every time they attempt to dodge accountability. This is your river, not theirs.

“Don’t Throw the Cox In”: Sir Steve Redgrave & River Action Warn of Failed Water Quality Standards

Posted on by Molly Allen

River Action warns university boat race stretch fails basic water quality standards – Sir Steve Redgrave calls for urgent clean-up

As the iconic Boat Race between Oxford and Cambridge approaches this weekend, river campaigners have warned that water quality for the stretch of the River Thames set to host the event would be classified as ‘poor’ under environmental regulations if it were designated as a ‘bathing water’ site. New testing on the course from River Action raises fresh concerns about water quality, with rowing legend Sir Steve Redgrave backing calls for urgent action to clean up the river.

While wet weather often exacerbates pollution through increased sewage discharges, recent conditions tell a different story. Since River Action’s E.coli testing started on 10th March, there has been just 1 day of rain, yet the river champions found that 29.5% of samples exceeded safe limits for entering the water, almost three times the threshold for bathing waters rated ‘poor’. River Action worked alongside Fluidion and Planet Ocean to do the testing whilst using the Alert One system. Fludion further validated the results.

Campaigners highlight that treated wastewater from sewage treatment plants, which currently face no legal limits on E.coli levels, is a major but overlooked contributor to the pollution of the River Thames.

Our Senior Communities Coordinator, Chloe Peck testing for E-Coli on the River Thames

Paying Twice for Polluted Water?

Revealed: Out-of-service sewage overflow monitor on water used for the Boat Race 

Despite public outrage, the construction of the Tideway Tunnel (which won’t resolve upstream pollution), a £3bn financial bailout plan, and Thames Water executives receiving massive salaries and bonuses, the company has failed to maintain its ageing infrastructure. Regulators have also failed to hold them accountable.

Immediately upstream of the boat race finishline, the monitoring system on the combined sewage overflow pipe at Kew (Kew Transfer) has been offline since 17 January, undermining the legal requirement for all sewage outfalls to be monitored. It is not known how much this pipe may have been discharging sewage into the Thames, near to the boat race finish line.

Campaigners are now demanding that Thames Water be taken back into public hands through Special Administration, branding the failing company a ‘busted flush.’

River Action’s Head of Communities, Erica Popplewell, said:

“The Mayor of London’s vision for clean and healthy rivers is simply a pipe dream without systematic reform of the water industry and its regulators. Right now, if the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race were an official bathing site it would be graded poor, the lowest possible rating. The government’s own advice for such water is ‘do not swim.’ So, we strongly suggest that the winning team on Sunday think twice before throwing their cox in the Thames.”

“We would also urge all rowers to follow the ‘Guidance for Rowing When Water Quality is Poor’ safety guidelines to mitigate risk.  The Boat Race should be about sporting excellence—not about worrying if you’ll get sick from being dunked – and attracting people to take up water sports as a healthy activity.

“The public demands Thames Water and regulators act now to improve sewage treatment infrastructure. Thames Water has profited from pollution for years whilst the Government have failed to enforce the law. It’s time to refinance the company without burdening bill payers and end pollution-for-profit. The decades-long water industry privatisation experiment has been a disaster. Thames Water should be put into Government hands and operated for public benefit. That process could start tomorrow with the right political will by putting Thames Water into Special Administration and restructuring the company.”

Erica Popplewell at the River Ver last month giving an interview for BBC News on how Thames Water’s sewage releases have impacted the Chalk Stream

Sir Steve Redgrave leads calls from the rowing community for action:

Leading figures, including Sir Steve Redgrave, are demanding urgent intervention to protect river users, including competitors in Sunday’s race.

“It’s a real worry that in 2025, unsafe water quality in the Thames is still a concern, Rowers, river users, and the public deserve better.”

Olympic champion rower Imogen Grant added:

“As rowers, we train on these waters every day, and the health and climate risks are deeply concerning. It’s unacceptable that we have to compete on a river with such an unavoidable threat to health”

Last month, Sir Steve Redgrave handed in a letter to Secretary of State for the Environment, addressing the need for urgent action to address the river’s pollution.

Thames Water dodging accountability

Thames Water, responsible for London’s wastewater, continues to evade responsibility.  Instead of prioritising infrastructure upgrades, the company:

  • Went to the High Court to beg for £3bn to avoid going bust, while rewarding executives with excessive bonuses.
  • Allows unchecked raw sewage discharges, despite mounting public and political pressure.
  • Fails to invest in sustainable solutions, leaving the Thames in environmental freefall.

“Thames Water is a failing company, propped up by creditors while customers pay for a crappy service—literally,” added Erica Popplewell from River Action. “We need urgent reform—this is a scandal.”

With the Water Commission, led by Sir Jon Cunliffe, underway and due to report its recommendations in the summer, campaigners demand an end to the broken privatisation model and a complete regulatory overhaul to stop the destruction of UK rivers. Watch River Action’s water commission themed animated film – ‘Water: A Story of Hope’ – narrated by Deborah Meaden.

Athlete safety at risk

Boat Race organisers are aware of water quality concerns on the Thames, making safety a priority. British Rowing, The Rivers Trust, and River Action are ensuring competitors are informed of risks.

Participants have received ‘Guidance for Rowing When Water Quality is Poor’ safety guidelines.

Time to act

River Action urges policymakers, regulators, and the public to take immediate action. Thames Water must be held accountable, and tougher regulations enforced to prevent further environmental destruction.

“This isn’t just about rowing—it’s about the future of our rivers and the communities that rely on them,” says Ms Popplewell from River Action. “We cannot let water companies continue to get away with this.”

To help change the future of our waterways, you can make your voice heard by responding to the Water commission’s call to evidence. We’ve provided guidance for each question to help you get started.

Sir Steve Redgrave calls on the Government to clean up the Thames, ahead of Schools’ Head of the River Race

Posted on by Molly Allen

As nearly 3,000 young rowers gather for the Schools’ Head of the River Race, all-time Olympic rowing champion Sir Steve Redgrave calls for urgent action to clean up the River Thames. In a letter to Secretary of State for the Environment Steve Reed, Sir Redgrave stresses the need for urgent action to address the river’s pollution.

The letter was delivered to Defra, as schools from across the country gather to take part in the UK’s largest processional rowing race for school-aged participants.

The action is being coordinated by environmental charity River Action, which is leading efforts to protect the river from severe pollution caused by sewage discharges. In the letter, Sir Steve Redgrave calls on the Secretary of State to:

  • End pollution for profit by water companies and take firm action to ensure Thames Water cleans up its infrastructure.
  • Give environmental regulators the power and tools to do their job so polluters are held to account.

Sir Steve Redgrave said, “This is not just about rowing. It’s about all river users’ public health. It’s about our environment. It’s about the future of one of the world’s most iconic rivers. We won’t sit quietly while this catastrophe continues.”

River campaigners urge rower safety on poor quality water

In response to growing concerns over water quality across Britain’s rivers , British Rowing, River Action, and The Rivers Trust have developed official guidelines to help rowers minimise the risk of illness due to exposure to polluted water.

The ‘Guidance on rowing when water quality is poor’ advises rowers to cover cuts, grazes, and blisters with waterproof dressings, avoid swallowing river water, wear suitable footwear when launching or recovering boats, and thoroughly clean all equipment after use.

Sir Steve Redgrave emphasised the importance of taking protective measures:

“The Schools’ Head of the River Race is a fantastic event, but rowers need to be aware of the serious health risks posed by polluted water. By following these safety guidelines, we can help minimise the risk, but this situation is completely unacceptable. We need urgent action to stop sewage discharges and protect the health of everyone using our rivers.”

Erica Popplewell, River Action’s Head of Communities, added:

“We are thrilled that so many young people are getting out on the water, but their health must not be put at risk. We urge every rower, coach, and participating school to follow our guidance to stay safe. But guidance alone is not enough—we need the Government to take decisive action to clean up the UK’s polluted rivers, and Thames Water must be stopped from polluting for profit.”

Water quality testing

Water quality testing conducted by River Action last year on the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge (also used for the Schools’ Head of the River Race) revealed dangerously high levels of E.coli bacteria caused by sewage pollution.

Tests using a World Health Organization-verified E.coli analyser recorded contamination levels up to ten times higher than the Environment Agency’s threshold for ‘poor’ designated bathing waters—where the Government advises against swimming.

Furthermore, River Action can reveal that in the last 6 months, Thames Water allowed 133 hours of human sewage to enter the section of the Thames used for the Schools Head of the River Race.

River Action continues to call for immediate intervention, including placing Thames Water into special administration, to prevent further environmental damage and protect river users.