Clean water advocates have labeled the water quality along the section of the River Thames that will host the prestigious Oxford v Cambridge Boat Race as “poor,” primarily due to elevated E. coli levels linked to sewage contamination.
Recent tests conducted on the four-mile stretch, which the university rowing teams will navigate this Sunday, indicated that E. coli concentrations are three times higher than what is deemed acceptable for safe bathing conditions.
When a location is designated as “poor,” the Environment Agency advises against swimming due to potential health hazards.
The Boat Race, a cherished tradition dating back to 1829, experienced similar concerns last year when fears surrounding sewage contamination in the river arose. After Cambridge’s victory, the Oxford crew disclosed that some team members had suffered from illness leading up to the competition.
Other water-based sporting events have also faced complications; a swimming race on the Thames, celebrated for over 120 years, was canceled in May due to concerns over health risks.
Sir Steve Redgrave, the Olympic gold medalist, emphasized the need to safeguard rowers from contaminated waters, expressing concern that unsafe water quality in the Thames is still an issue as they approach 2025. “Rowers, river users, and the community deserve better,” he stated.
Testing, which took place every weekday from March 10 to April 7 along the race route between Putney and Mortlake, showed that 29.5% of samples fell outside safe limits for water entry and were nearly three times the threshold considered acceptable for “poor” bathing water.
The testing occurred during a notably dry period. Discharges of untreated sewage from storm overflows should only occur in exceptional weather conditions, such as severe rainfall or storms. Discharge of raw sewage during dry spells may be against the law.
While the route does not have official bathing water status, River Action, the organization responsible for the testing, utilized the bathing water standard as a guideline to highlight public health risks.
River Action reported that a monitoring device on a sewage outflow at Kew, located upstream from the race’s finish line, went offline in January and remained inactive throughout the entire testing period.
In addition to untreated sewage, Thames Water treatment facilities release treated sewage into the river on a daily basis.
According to River Action, pollution from sewage treatment plants—unregulated for E. coli—represents a significant but often ignored contributor to the poor water quality.
Erica Popplewell, head of communities at River Action, cautioned that the victorious Boat Race team might reconsider the traditional act of throwing their cox into the water after the race due to health concerns.
She advocated for systemic reform in the water sector and its regulatory bodies. “The public expects Thames Water and regulators to take immediate action to enhance sewage treatment facilities,” she asserted.
“Thames Water has profited from pollution for years while the government has failed to enforce compliance. It is time to restructure the company without imposing additional costs on consumers and to put an end to profit-driven pollution practices.”
Popplewell called for Thames Water to be placed under government management for the public good.
However, previous attempts to place the struggling water company into a special administrative regime—temporarily transferring management to the government—were unsuccessful last month. The Court of Appeal permitted Thames Water to proceed with a £3 billion bailout loan at a hefty 9.75% interest, which a high court judge criticized as “excessive.”
This month saw average bills rise from £436 to £588 annually, with the company seeking further increases.
Rachel Dulai, sustainability lead at British Rowing, remarked: “Our guidance for rowing in poor water quality outlines safety measures for rowers to protect their health while participating in the sport they cherish. The Boat Race and affiliated clubs have provided this guidance to their athletes.”
“There are over 30 rowing clubs operating on the Boat Race’s championship course daily, and we continuously collaborate with partners dedicated to clean water to advocate for a healthier environment, as well as conduct regular testing to inform our community.”
A spokesperson for Thames Water commented: “Rivers are dynamic ecosystems, and water quality can fluctuate significantly in a short time. The Boat Race course does not qualify as a bathing water area, and therefore we are not equipped or funded to routinely disinfect or sterilize effluent.
“Furthermore, the Thames Tideway tunnel has prevented more than 6,376,450 cubic meters of sewage from entering the tidal Thames since its connection earlier this year, ultimately reducing annual sewage discharges by 95%.
“We are dedicated to making substantial investments to address our aging infrastructure and improve river health.”