Campaigners say all UK rivers are polluted and swimmers face health risks

Campaigners have warned that all of Britain's rivers are polluted, posing health risks to swimmers, and are calling on the Environment Agency to do more. The warning comes at the end of an unusually hot summer when many people have been swimming in rivers and lakes to cool off.

One mother, Claire, described how her seven-year-old son was hospitalised after a family kayaking trip to Lake Windermere in Cumbria. He developed an E. coli infection which then became more serious, leading to haemolytic uraemic syndrome. He had to be transferred to Leeds to start dialysis and have operations to save his kidneys. Claire said she had checked the Environment Agency website before the trip, which gave the lake an excellent rating, giving her confidence to go.

Campaigners say huge amounts of sewage have been illegally pumped into the lake over the years, and that if taken in, the bacteria in the water can be dangerous. The Environment Agency tests 464 designated swimming sites in England for contamination. The testing process involves taking samples 30 centimetres below the surface and sending them to a laboratory in Exeter, where microbiologists test for E. coli and intestinal enterococci, the bacteria specified in regulations as showing a risk to public health.

Between April 2025 and April 2026, there were almost 100 criminal investigations launched by the Environment Agency into water companies for alleged rule-breaking. According to campaign group River Action, all of the UK's rivers are polluted. Water companies have been fined millions of pounds for polluting rivers over the past few years amid a growing public outcry. Some campaigners are urging harsher action, with some calling for private water companies to be nationalised.

The Environment Agency has had its funding and resources cut over recent decades. Campaigners are calling for the Clean Water Bill, expected under the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, to give those resources back so that polluters can be monitored and the law enforced. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says it is increasing funding for the Environment Agency. A spokesperson said they are taking steps to recover enforcement costs from polluters, significantly boost inspections, and issue penalties more quickly. They also said they will work with partners to find the source of pollution, whether from agricultural runoff, surface water runoff, or storm overflows, and minimise that risk in the future.

Swimmers are being urged to check the status of their favourite spots before getting into the water. Meanwhile, testing of Britain's polluted waters will continue, as will the debate on how best to clean them up.