With the iconic Oxford-Cambridge Boat Race set to return to the River Thames this weekend, fresh warnings about the river’s water quality have cast a shadow over the historic event.
River Action, an environmental campaign group, has published findings showing that nearly 30% of samples collected from the course contained E. coli levels above safe limits—some almost three times higher than the threshold set by the Environment Agency for ‘poor’ quality waters.
This year’s results follow similar warnings issued in 2024, when River Action conducted its first round of testing in advance of the Boat Race. Those findings were later questioned. However, the group appears to have taken a more focused and coordinated approach this year, working alongside British Rowing and The Rivers Trust to ensure accurate testing and improved communication about the health risks.
Concerns have also been raised about a malfunctioning sewage monitor at Kew, just upstream of the race’s finish line, which has been offline since mid-January—contravening legal obligations for sewage outfall monitoring.
Five-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Steve Redgrave has lent his voice to the growing alarm. Reflecting on his years training in Putney, he said, “I used to train down there a lot in the Eighties and the beginning of the Nineties. In the summers I would go for a swim after training sessions. I would not swim in the Thames now, and I would not like my children to swim in the Thames either.” He warned that unchecked pollution could endanger not only public health but also Putney’s long-standing rowing culture.
The latest tests come after a sustained dry spell, suggesting the pollution is likely not from storm overflows but from treated sewage discharges, which currently are not regulated for E. coli content.
Erica Popplewell, River Action’s Head of Communities, warned: “If this stretch of the Thames were an official bathing site, it would be graded ‘poor.’ The government’s own advice for such water is ‘do not swim.’ So we strongly suggest that the winning team on Sunday think twice before throwing their cox in the Thames.”
River Action is calling for Thames Water to be placed under Special Administration, accusing the utility of profiting from pollution and failing to invest in its infrastructure despite record executive bonuses and mounting public outcry.
As the Boat Race draws global attention once more to the Thames, the event is fast becoming a symbol of the broader fight for clean rivers and environmental accountability in the UK.
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