Poll finds Brits would rather swim with sharks than in sewage as Boxing Day swims cancelled

EMBARGO: 00.01 Thursday 26 December

• Poll finds one in three people would prefer to swim in water infested with great white sharks than in sewage contaminated water
• Traditional festive swims spots across the country were contaminated with sewage 3799 times last year
• Morecambe Bay had sewage dumped for a shocking 5,862.26 hours in 2023

More people would choose to swim with great white sharks than in water contaminated with sewage, polling commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has found.

In a poll by Savanta, one in three people (33%) said they would prefer to swim in water infested with great white sharks, compared to one in four (27%) who would pick water contaminated with sewage.

It comes as analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that festive swimming spots saw sewage dumped in them a combined total of 3799 of times last year, lasting for 24,433 hours. 

Across the country, community swims take place on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Years’ Day. This year, a swim in Kent has been forced to cancel their annual Boxing Day swim due to rising levels of E.Coli. In Cornwall, a ‘Santa Surf’ due to take place earlier this month was cancelled due to sewage dumps by South West Water the day before the event. 

Morecambe Bay, which hosts an annual Boxing Day dip for charity, had 757 sewage dumps in 2023, with sewage flowing for a shocking total of 5,860 hours. 

Nearby Windermere, host to a Boxing Day swim which encourages participants to don their best fancy dress, had sewage dumped a disturbing 345 times, totalling to 5,259 hours over the course of 2023. 

In Devon, hundreds turn out for the annual Christmas Day morning swim on Exmouth Beach, with a local boat company even chartering cruises to watch the festive spectacle. However, in 2023, South West Water discharged sewage into the sea there 214 times, for a total of 1,984 hours. In summer, a ‘no swim’ warning was issued by the Environment Agency due to pollution levels, now festive swims could see the same fate. 

Lyme Regis in Dorset, which sees over a thousand swimmers take part in the New Years Day fancy dress plunge, had raw sewage poured into the water 156 times, totalling to 1,316.92 hours. 

The Liberal Democrats have long called for an end to the sewage scandal with a ban on bonuses for water bosses and abolishing Ofwat and replacing it with a new regulator. 

Liberal Democrat Environment spokesperson Tim Farron MP said: 

“It is a gobsmacking indictment of how disgustingly polluted our rivers, lakes and beaches have become that people would be happier swimming with sharks than in sewage-infested waters.

“We’re going to need a bigger regulator; it is outrageous that water companies have been allowed to get away with this scandal while their bosses pocket huge bonuses. 

“Yet again, long-established festive swims are being ruined by filthy sewage dumping. This has to end now so that next Christmas, families can enjoy festive swims without the fear of sewage pollution.” 

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

Polling methodology: Savanta interviewed 2,170 UK adults aged 18+ online between 13th - 16th December 2024. Data were weighted to be representative of the UK by age, sex, region, and social grade 

Q1. How often do you do the following in the UK? Base: All respondents (n=2,170)

Q2. It has been reported that water companies are allowed to discharge untreated sewage into British seas, rivers and lakes when there is heavy rainfall to prevent treatment plants being overwhelmed. If you had to pick, would you rather swim in: Base: All respondents (n=2,170)

Analysis of 2023 Environment Agency data for festive swimming locations:

Full data set can be found here. Data was calculated by totalling the number of sewage discharges and hours spilled for all the Emergency Sewage Overflows (ESOs) in each festive swim location. Where the location has bathing water status the calculation is the total ESOs that discharge into it, if not it is either based on receiving water or the location of the ESO. 

 Kent Live article confirming cancellation of Boxing Day swim here. 

Cornwall Live article confirming cancellation of December ‘Santa Surf’ here.