During the month of October 2024, people from across the country dipped into cold water every day, to raise money to help save the country’s blue spaces.

The event was organised by Surfers Against Sewage, a marine conservation charity who detail their purpose on their official website as to ‘unite, empower and support individuals to protect the ocean and all it makes possible’.

Founded in 1990 by a group of Cornish surfers, the St Agnes based charity has organised a wide variety of additional events, such as protests and clean ups, alongside their annual Dip a Day in October event.

Their website celebrates that over 11,000 people took part last year, raising an immense £202,105 to help support their impressive mission.

The mass fundraising event inspiringly opposes damaging actions to our oceans, primarily the continued release of sewage into seas and rivers, but also plastic pollution and global warming.

After heavy rainfall, which threatens the capacity of the sewage system, utility companies often spill excess rainwater and wastewater into blue spaces, such as the ocean.

The companies claim that it is necessary as, if they do not deposit the extra waste somewhere, the sewage system could become overwhelmed and sewage could back up into our streets and homes.

However, storm overflows are a risk to both the environment and public health, whilst also preventing recreational activities such as surfing, and thus many coastal residents are concerned by its continued release into the ocean.

Data from the Environmental Agency suggests that in 2023 the areas with the most spills included Cornwall and Devon, who have their water provided by South West Water.

These are two popular surfing locations, which means that the spills cause great disruption to the everyday life of many residents.

I visited a surf shop in St Ives, Cornwall, and asked the local resident working there what he thought of the continued spillages, to which he replied, ‘It is horrific’ and ‘It makes a massive difference in this part of the world’.

This is why many people took to bodies of cold water over October, to help raise awareness and funding as an effort to prevent further spills in their local areas.

I also enquired at a surf school in Gwithian about how the sewage spillages affect their business.

They said that when sewage is dumped into the sea, the whole beach needs to be shut as there is a health risk and this leads to them having to cancel bookings on the day.

Due to the frequency of its occurrence, they must check every morning at 8:30 am whether the beach is safe to use or whether they need to cancel their lessons, to the loss of both the surfers and the business. 

This statement was echoed by keen surfer William Olsen who said ‘It’s always disappointing when my surfing is disrupted with such late notice, surely there must be somewhere else they can put the extra sewage?’. 

These are just a few of the damaging impacts that have inspired Surfers Against Sewage to create their Dip a Day in October event and we will have to see if their continued campaign can help surfers ride out this wave of sewage spillages.