In pictures: Punts and paddlers form flotilla of fury over sewage pollution on River Cam

More than 100 people and about 25 water craft took part in a protest on the River Cam to demand an end to sewage pollution.

The flotilla gathered at Mill Pond for a rally, before punting and paddling to King’s College Backs.

They were accompanied by singers, who performed a specially composed song by Rowena Whitehead called ‘Anglian Water: Clean It Up’.

Organised by Cam Valley Forum, Cambridge Canoe Club and the charity Cambridge Curiosity and Imagination, the ‘Punt and paddle out’ protest was one of about 50 around the UK that took place on Saturday (17 May) co-ordinated by Surfers Against Sewage.

The flotilla included 11 punts, which carried ‘Chalk Dream’ hangings created by CCI with local children and their communities.

When they reached King’s, Michael Goodhart, of Cam Valley Forum, spoke about the 400-year history of swimming in the Cam, before actor and director Chris Hudson read the poem ‘Waterbodies’ by poet Kaddy Benyon from a punt.

Kaddy said: “This is a found poem produced by erasing some of the foreword to Anglian Water’s Pollution Incident Plan 2020-2025 by the CEO of Anglian Water.”

Addressing those gathered, Anne Miller, co-chair of Cam Valley Forum, said: “Over 100 people and around 25 water craft, including 11 punts, are gathered here in Cambridge, along with thousands of people who are gathering by their rivers and seas today, from Cornwall to Scotland, to show that we want an end to sewage pollution on our waters.

“Water companies, and Anglian Water is no exception, are continuing to dump untreated and minimally treated sewage straight into our waterways, polluting our rivers and seas, putting human health at risk and destroying vital ecosystems that support life on earth.

“There are now signs up at Sheep’s Green, just upstream of here, saying ‘bathing is not advised’ because last year the river was so polluted with bacteria from poo.

“We know that much of this pollution is coming from Haslingfield Sewage Works, just 5km upstream. This takes sewage from 13,000 people in the upstream villages, but it is old and overloaded. Last year, it was overflowing for one third of the time.

“The sewage pumping stations in the villages overflow when it rains. The big, pressurised pipes, which take the raw sewage from the villages to the sewage works keep bursting. And even when the sewage works is working ‘well’ it’s 10 times worse at treating the sewage than the main Cambridge one.”

She added: “But it’s not just the water companies. While they continue to pollute and pay huge dividends to their shareholders and bonuses to their CEOs, the Environment Agency has been steadily cut to the bone. For 30 years, we’ve had a regulatory system that’s completely dysfunctional.

“Far from forcing water companies to make the investments needed to keep our rivers healthy, the system discourages investment. Instead, politicians told Ofwat to prioritise lower bills while letting polluters profit. But now we’re waking up. We are paying the price. People are getting sick.”

Bathing Water Designation was given to Sheep’s Green last year, which means its water quality is regularly monitored by the Environment Agency, which must investigate pollution sources and identify steps to be taken in response. So far, the results has shown it is highly polluted and a long way from being suitable for swimming.

“The system is crazy,” continued Anne. “Here in Cambridge, we, Cam Valley Forum, had to jump through the hoops to get Bathing Water Designation because that was the only way to get the regulators to both permit, and require, Anglian Water to invest and improve the upstream sewage treatment. They tell us we should now see a significant improvement, but it’s going to take five years…That feels like a long time to wait, for something we should have had already. So we want Haslingfield fixed fast.

“But the government is promising reform. A big consultation has just finished, and they will be announcing changes to the regulatory system soon. But we know there will be industry lobbyists resisting change. That is why we’re protesting today, to show government that we want them to be bold.

“We want a regulatory system that forces water companies to invest, and takes account of the needs of all water users and the wider environment, not just swimmers.

“We want to be able to swim, paddle, kayak, row and punt, without the fear of getting sick.”

Cam Valley Forum said it was grateful for the help of volunteers and creators, and thanked Scudamores for the punts.