Overview
- Surfers Against Sewage, which coordinated more than 50 Paddle-Outs on Saturday, rallied thousands nationwide to demand cleaner rivers and seas.
- The government confirmed 13 new official bathing sites that will be tested by the Environment Agency during the summer season to give swimmers up-to-date water quality results.
- Natural Resources Wales said it had tightened oversight with a new compliance team and about £5m in funding, while water companies pointed to large investment plans including £1.7bn by Northumbrian Water and a sector figure of £104bn.
- Campaigners cited more than 290,000 sewage discharges recorded in 2025 and 6,709 self-reported illnesses since 2019, including 1,263 last year, to highlight risks to public health.
- Bathing-water designation requires regular summer testing that helps people judge when it is safe to swim and can drive upgrades, yet many river sites still hold poor ratings despite new designations.