Brighton: Surfers Against Sewage to protest against sewage pollution

Ocean charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) is organising a Paddle Out Protest against sewage pollution on the beach by Brighton's West Pier on May 18.

SAS claims water companies are dumping untreated sewage into waterways, polluting rivers and seas, risking human health, and destroying vital ecosystems.

This protest will be between 11am and 12.30 pm, and people can protest on the shore with banners and flags alongside drummers or on paddleboards in the sea.

A previous protest in Brighton (Image: Grant Winter)

Stuart Davies, SAS Brighton and Hove representative, said: “2024 brings the year for change, and our Paddle Out Protests will highlight this. With a general election likely, we have a real opportunity to build on the momentum and public outrage over sewage pollution from last year.

“2024 is also the year that water companies and regulators are setting out their investment plans for the next five years, which means it is the perfect time to ramp up the pressure.”

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SAS also alleges that water companies pay huge dividends to their shareholders and bonuses to their CEOs, but environmental regulators remain underfunded.

Stuart Davies said: “The government still fails to act to end the sewage pollution crisis. Our sewage system is antiquated and broken.

“We will paddle out across the UK again, demonstrating to the government, the water companies, and the regulators that we will not stop until we see an end to sewage pollution.

“From the beachfront to the front bench, our demands will be heard, and we will create systemic change.”

A previous Surfers Against Sewage protest in Brighton (Image: Andrew Gardner | The Argus)

SAS has created the End Sewage Pollution Manifesto, which outlines five solutions to end sewage pollution, which they want the government to adopt and back.

These solutions include enforcing the law, stopping pollution for profit, prioritising high-risk pollution, empowering a nature-led approach, and revealing the truth.

A spokesperson for Southern Water said: “We are working hard to deliver fast-tracked improvements in our performance by April 2025 through our Turnaround Plan.

“We’ve also submitted an ambitious £7.8 billion business plan for the five years to 2030, which includes £4.1bn investment on wastewater services alone."