Dear fellow swimmers
Did you march for clean water?
Time and again we hear from swimmers who are put off swimming in natural waters because of worries about pollution.
Those worries are warranted. Water companies put untreated sewage into the sea and rivers. Run-off from farms and roads brings other pollutants into the water.
It’s not that we can never swim. I swim regularly in the Thames and the water quality is often excellent. But it can also be terrible. We’ve written
previously about how to monitor what is happening in your swimming spot and making judgements about your risks. Many of us who love swimming outdoors continue to do so despite pollution, but
we have to take measures to reduce the risks.
Wouldn’t it be so much better if:
- We didn’t have to constantly check for sewage discharges
- We didn’t have to worry for two days every time we
accidentally swallow a mouthful of river water
- We didn’t have to compulsively disinfect our hands the second we get out of the water
- We didn’t have non-swimmers questioning our sanity every time we take a dip?
That’s why I joined River Action’s March for Clean Water last Sunday. It was great to march with thousands of other swimmers and water
users from around the country, and to see so much passion for our rivers. I loved the creative fancy dress, the placards and the banners. I also saw lots of familiar faces and Outdoor Swimmer readers.
Will marching turn the tide against pollution? On its own, probably not. We need ongoing action. We need to keep reminding politicians that water quality is a vote winning
issue. We need to show polluters that we care. We need to encourage the enforcement agencies to do their job. Marching brings people together in a powerful way and sends a strong message about the strength of our feelings. But the job is far from finished. Please keep up the good work that so many of you are doing – and do please let us know about your local campaigns.
Abi Whyte,
from the Outdoor Swimmer team, also joined the march with her local Save the Wye group. Read her report from the day here.
Simon Griffiths
Founder and publisher, Outdoor Swimmer
p.s. Thank you
to SwimTayka or sponsoring The Dip this week. If you would like to put your brand in front of 35,000 swimmers, please get in touch.
