Oxford rowers have expressed their dismay at the sewage levels in the Thames after losing the Boat Race to Cambridge. It has been discovered that there are high levels of E. coli in the river where the universities race every year, which may pose serious health risks to those who come into contact with the water.
According to Environment Agency figures released on Wednesday, raw sewage spills in England doubled last year to 3.6 million hours spills, compared to 1.75 million hours in 2022. These spills contain human waste, wet wipes, and sanitary products that can be particularly harmful to swimmers. Cambridge, who won both the male and female races, was also advised not to throw the cox into the water, as is tradition.
Coxswain Will Denegri stated, “Whether that’s related to E.coli in the river I don’t know, but it’s certainly not helped our campaign… It’s not an excuse, but it definitely hasn’t helped our preparation.” Testing by River Action and Fulham Reach Boat Club earlier this month showed high levels of E. coli, which can cause severe infections.
The UK has combined sewage systems, meaning that if there is heavy rainfall, sewage treatment works can be overwhelmed. Sewage is then released into waterways to prevent the system from backing up. Nonetheless, Water UK, the industry’s governing body, has stated that although rainfall reached new heights last year, the situation is socially and environmentally unacceptable. The government has said that discharged sewage in UK waters is “completely unacceptable,” and it aims to take “tough action” against water companies that mishandle the situation
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