At a Glance
- Southend Against Sewage is co-hosting the annual ‘Paddle Out Protest’.
- The event takes place at Chalkwell Beach on Saturday 16th of May.
- The protest calls for an end to sewage pollution and greater accountability.
- Residents are invited to bring placards, voices, and good vibes.
Southend Against Sewage is pleased to announce that we will be co-hosting with Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) the annual ‘Paddle Out Protest’ taking place this year at Chalkwell Beach on Saturday 16th of May, between 11:30-14:00.
We are excited to join communities across the UK. Together, we are preparing to take to the water, shorelines, and riverbanks to demand an end to sewage pollution. This nationwide day of action, led by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), unites people with a single goal: to stop the ongoing dumping of sewage into waterways and address the lack of transparency and accountability in the system. Public frustration is growing over pollution, missing data, and rising costs.
Clean Up Our Waters
Surfers Against Sewage have described this as a “pivotal, once in a lifetime opportunity”, to send a clear message to political leaders, ‘reform the water industry’.
Nationally, we are facing a tidal wave of sewage pollution and “storm overflow” data is helping to reveal its true extent. Since 2023 England has over 14,000 monitored overflow points, gathering storm data. These were installed by Water Companies at the government’s direction, covering the majority of outflow sites, enabling near real time tracking of discharges. This data is used by various government departments and water companies, alongside Apps operated by Surfers Against Sewage, River Action and Top of the Poos to provide sewage alerts to users.
In 2024, there were roughly 450,000 recorded sewage discharges, lasting about 3.6 million hours. Which equates to an average of 31.8 spills per overflow per year. Far in excess of the government target of fewer than 10 spills per overflow. Across the wider UK, estimates suggest total discharge duration reached around 4.7 million hours.
How Spills Happen
These spills tend occur when sewer systems are filled by rainwater, typically during heavy rainfalls. This causes rainwater to mix with untreated wastewater and sewage to combine into ‘grey water’, which is hazardous to health. It is released into rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, as sewers quickly fill. This pollution has become so widespread geographically, that only 19% of our rivers are considered ‘healthy’ by the Environment Agency.
Essex currently has around 146 monitored storm overflow sites, which discharge untreated wastewater into rivers, estuaries, and coastal waters when sewer capacity is exceeded. In 2024, the wider Anglian Water region (covering Essex) recorded about 44,000 sewage spills lasting 626,000 hours, averaging 31 spills per overflow. This is in excess of the government target of fewer than 10 spills per overflow.
Widespread Essex Pollution
Geographically, pollution is widespread across Essex waterways, rivers and beaches. Last year inland locations like Rayleigh and Wickford, experienced 48 spills lasting 337 hours across just seven monitored sites.
Sewage pollution in Southend is monitored by 18 storm overflow monitors located at Combined Sewage Outflow sites, which discharge into local watercourses and the Thames Estuary. Data shows that between 2021-2024 there were about 445 recorded sewage spills lasting 6,423 hours in and around Southend. Equivalent to roughly 7 months of continuous discharge!
Failing Infrastructure Exposed
However, it’s not just numbers, data and spreadsheets. It’s our infrastructure too. The San Remo Parade CSO (AWS01169) opposite the iconic Rossi’s Ice Cream Parlour at Westcliff, has fallen into such disrepair that the Environment Agency agreed with our assessment, and demanded Anglian Water replace it last year. Even though Anglian Water are in “non-compliance with their Environmental Permit”, they have continued to use it. It has been operated 23 times since July 2025.
Further, it has been an ongoing problem we have highlighted with Anglian Water at each Water Quality Summit since we brought it to their attention in February 2024. We have written letters and emails about it too.
We’re angry that this is happening.
Are you?
Join us on Saturday 16th May at Chalkwell Beach. You don’t have to paddle board or swim. Bring your placards, voices, and good vibes.
by Shah & Alex Haider
On behalf of Southend Against Sewage
southendagainstsewage.org