The RYA is a founding member of the Clean Water Sports Alliance. The Alliance is advocating for the restoration of the UK’s blue spaces for the enjoyment of all and we want to see those environments free of pollution and havens for wildlife, as well as places for everyone to be active in sport and recreation.
Our concerns are both about the safety of the water from a human health perspective and the maintenance of a clean, natural, wildlife-rich environment for our members to enjoy.
We align with the Clean Water Sports Alliance in calling for:
In addition, the RYA wants to see water quality testing undertaken year-round, whereas current testing is in the summer season of May to September.
We recognise that sewage pollution is only one aspect of water quality and call equally for action to control agricultural and industrial run-off. Nutrient loading from agricultural run-off has the potential to impact recreational activities through the formation of toxic algal blooms and impacts on wildlife through the reduction in biodiversity that results.
Poor water quality
The UK has continued to score near the bottom of the European bathing water quality index, with the limited action currently being taken not making significant improvements.
Pollution impacting activities and events
Pollution from various sources contaminates UK inland and coastal waters, damaging ecosystems and causing illness within people who take part in sport and physical activity in, on or around these waters. Water that is unfit to host water-based sport has also caused events, training sessions and activities to be cancelled or postponed because it has not met the standards for safe participation.
Threat to biodiversity
Biodiversity is also being put under immense pressure, threatened by pollution as well as by invasive species which alter our ecosystems, introducing new pathogens and costing the UK £4 billion a year according to a 2023 paper.
Inadequate water quality testing
A key issue for the RYA’s members and affiliates is that current official water quality testing is confined to designated bathing beaches and takes place from May through to September. Our stakeholders are in or on the water year-round on most inland and coastal waters, not restricted to specific beach locations.
We need better data and guidance to enable people to make informed decisions about going on or in the water, both to protect them from harm and to encourage them to participate when it is safe to do so.
The RYA, in line with the Clean Water Sports Alliance, is making three asks of regulators and decision makers:
End Sewage Pollution Manifesto
The Green Blue: black water disposal