Popstar Feargal Sharkey makes River Avon sewage election issue

The question of how clean the River Avon is through the Bristol area became a major General Election issue this week after the visit of former pop star Feargal Sharkey to talk to environmental campaigners on the edge of the city.

The Undertones frontman-turned-water campaigner joined metro mayor and Labour candidate Dan Norris, who is standing for parliament in North East Somerset and Hanham, at the River Avon in Saltford, near Bristol.

Meanwhile, campaigners calling on the authorities to facilitate bathing in the River Avon further downstream on the edge of Bristol at Conham River Park have secured the backing of two prominent Bristol figures.

Read next: Wessex Water boss furious at metro mayor's 'rogue trader' call over sewage in river

Read more: Conham's wild swimmers vow to keep fighting despite being 'ignored' by mayor

Feargal Sharkey called on Wessex Water to stop allowing sewage into the Bristol Avon as part of his national tour called ‘StopTheSh1tShow’ - his first music tour in almost 40 years - as he joined campaigners on the banks of the river at Saltford Marina.

He told people on a litter-pick: “We’re in Wessex Water service area - for 33 years, Wessex Water’s customers, like the rest of the country, have been paying quite handsomely for them to go and collect your poo, treat it and dispose of it in a grown up, proper manner, which does not interfere with you, your lifestyle, the environment, the river or anything else around you.

“It turns out, over the last four years, Wessex Water have spent nearly one million hours dumping sewage into surrounding rivers and ultimately beaches in your service area. This goes through the whole industry,” he added.

“At this minute in time, not only is the Avon the third most impacted river, actually there’s not a single river that’s not polluted, every single one of them. And one of the largest sources of that pollution is the water industry,” he added.

Mr Norris is the regional metro mayor for the West of England and is standing for Labour in the General Election against the Conservative Jacob Rees Mogg in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency which now spans the River Avon between Keynsham and Bristol. He told campaigners ‘we don’t believe’ the water companies on the issue of sewage discharge into rivers.

“We care passionately that this gets sorted,” he said. “We don’t believe the hype that is coming from the water companies. Wessex Water is largely responsible, a guy called Colin Skellet is the chief executive.

“Frankly what’s happened is a private company has taken it over when it was privatised, they’re benefiting huge amounts and giving money to their shareholders while we can see is polluted and dangerous and we see people going to hospital, and all sorts of complications and consequences, and we think that is enough is enough,” he added.

“I’m pleased to welcome Feargal Sharkey who I am campaigning alongside to clean up our rivers to North East Somerset and Hanham,” he said.

“The West of England’s rivers and other waterways have become an open sewer thanks to the Tories’ hands-off approach. Unlike the Conservative candidate, who voted to dump raw sewage into local rivers, I will continue holding water companies to account if I’m elected as your MP,” he added.

Mr Norris said there was a huge increase - 89 per cent - in ‘sewage dumping incidents’ in 2023 in the Wessex Water area, with 41,000 incidents compared with 21,000 the previous year.

Wessex Water have previously explained that they don’t ‘dump’ or ‘pump’ sewage into rivers - if there is heavy rainfall, the sewage and drainage system can’t cope and to stop sewage backing up into people’s homes, they have to let it flow into the river.

And because 2023 was one of the wettest years on record, that happened more often than in previous years.

A spokesperson for Wessex Water said that this was called ‘storm overflow discharge’, and it only makes a three per cent contribution to why the River Avon is polluted - which is mainly down to run-off from urban areas and agriculture.

He added that the firm was investing in a new 50,000 litre stormwater tank, as part of a £35 million expansion of the water recycling centre at Saltford, between Bristol and Bath.

“We understand storm overflows are an issue for many customers and we agree they are outdated, which is why we’re spending over £3 million every month to progressively improve them. Subject to regulatory approval, this investment will more than double from 2025,” he added.

Meanwhile, a result of the poor quality of the River Avon is that it’s often not safe to swim in it. A group of wild swimming enthusiasts who have been running a long campaign to get the Avon at Conham River Park given designated bathing status, have produced a film about the issue and their campaign.

The feature-length documentary film, called ‘Rave On For The Avon’, has been screened in various locations around Bristol and will have its final Bristol Preview Screening in collaboration with Surfers Against Sewage, at the Tobacco Factory in Ashton Gate on Saturday, June 15.

The campaign has recently been backed by former Bristol Mayor George Ferguson, and Bristol comedian and actor Jayde Adams, and the final preview day at the Tobacco Factory will be a special community day.

“Rave on for the Avon moved me so much, I cried at the last screening,” said Jayde. “As a Bristolian who loves outdoor swimming, I support Conham Bathing’s Thriving Avon Charter and encourage residents of Bristol to do so too, to ensure that Bristol’s precious River Avon can flow free from sewage and is protected for generations to come.

“During these difficult times, people from all backgrounds rely on open water for their mental health and that is something worth getting behind, don’t you think?” she added.

The film’s director and producer is Charlotte Sawyer. “I see the gorgeous River Avon following past my house and it brings me such peace and joy.

“Two years ago I heard of the mad, wonderful and so distinctly Bristol ways river swimmers were pushing back in the face of such horrific river pollution. I grabbed my camera and started rolling,” she added.

“Rave On For The Avon emerged and shows just how much rivers mean to people and how grave we sense its destruction. It is the actions of us ordinary folk that is conveying the urgency of this issue. It is not coming from those at the top, they seem to be asleep at the wheel. So we will keep shouting, raving and swimming until our rivers are healthy again,” she said.