A Thames Fit To Swim

London Waterkeeper wants to see a swimmable Thames. The mental and physical health of thousands would benefit.

London Waterkeeper campaign for sewage spill monitoring

We want a Thames fit for nature and fit to swim. The aim is for more people to use the Thames without fear of getting ill, whether to swim, paddle, row, kayak, paddleboard, or sail. We want fish and wildlife to flourish along with our riverside communities.

London Waterkeeper is a signatory to the Charter for Swimmable Cities. This is a global movement that wants to see safe, healthy and swimmable waterways that are accessible to all people. London Waterkeeper has been calling for a swimmable Thames for more than ten years, read more about the journey here and here.

The gold standard is Copenhagen. Here’s how they made the city’s waters swimmable.

Between 2017 and 2022 London Waterkeeper ran a campaign to make Thames Water to comply with the Environmental Information Regulations and publish real-time, accessible data on sewage overflows. In 2023 they agreed to do it, and the service began in January 2023. Here is the map.

Our supporters worked with us to demand information and accountability. Thanks to them and to our lawyers Leigh Day. Thames Water now shows spill data in an accessible form.

In 2017 and 2018 we organised mass swims in the Thames between Richmond and Teddington. At the time, we made sure not to swim after heavy rain, and the water quality was ‘Excellent’. Now we can check the state of our waterways before we swim.