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If you\u2019re a river swimmer in the UK, you learn to check for sewage overflow warnings.\u00a0Last year, raw discharge was sent into English rivers a whopping 825 times a day<\/a>. When the coast is clear from the upstream sewage works, locals flock to Teddington Lock, a leisurely stretch of the Thames in West London that\u2019s brimming with rowers, sailors, paddleboarders and swimmers attached to bright tow floats. This is by no means an official swimming spot, but 60 years after being declared \u2018biologically dead<\/a>\u2019, focused recovery efforts mean the Thames is again home to fish, invertebrates, water birds, marine mammals, as well as people. Teddington Riverside has become a beloved place for Londoners to connect with their river.<\/p>\n But maybe not for much longer. \u2018London needs to sort itself out in terms of drought resilience, and we support that. But there are better alternatives,\u2019 says Magnus Grimond, a river swimmer and activist with Save Ham Lands & River<\/a>, which is campaigning against Thames Water\u2019s plans<\/a> to abstract large quantities of river water at Teddington. The problem is that the water will be replaced with treated sewage effluent, and protesters are worried about what this will do to the health of the river and everything in it. As drought reduces river flow, the effluent will make up a notable proportion of the water \u2013\u00a0this is worrying in light of the difficulty in removing hormones, pharmaceuticals and PFAS, the so-called \u2018forever chemicals\u2019.<\/p>\n \u2018This scheme would provide up to 75 million litres of water a day, but that\u2019s a tiny fraction of what Thames Water loses,\u2019 says Grimond \u2013 old, leaky pipes claim 630 million litres a day<\/a>, but Thames Water is decades out from getting a handle on their leaks. The plans will also lay waste to a local nature reserve, says Grimond: \u2018Put your own house in order before you start trashing the urban idyll!\u2019 (Thames Water did not respond to requests for comment.)<\/p>\n As the problem of climate change intensifies, cities need to become more drought-resilient. Thames Water\u2019s plan, which will be finalised next year, is one of the cheaper and quicker solutions. But is it the right approach? \u2018Any water recycling option considered by water companies must meet clear environmental requirements,\u2019 said a spokesperson for the UK Environment Agency<\/a>, which has already rejected more ambitious water abstraction plans from Thames Water due to the environmental impacts. \u2018We will be scrutinising the detailed proposals in the coming months.\u2019<\/p>\n The situation in London foreshadows some of the difficulties that lie ahead: water will become an increasingly precious resource, and we will need to balance the needs of people, wildlife, and nature. Across Europe, focused efforts to improve wastewater treatment<\/a> and pollution from industry means rivers are cleaner than in recent decades, and the result is improvements in quality of life. But heatwaves, droughts and floods are bringing a new level of emergency to the need for water management across the continent.<\/p>\n About three-quarters of Europe\u2019s population<\/a> lives in cities and urban areas \u2013\u00a0access to a healthy river to cool off is increasingly important as heatwaves increase in frequency. Beyond leisure, European rivers are central to the EU\u2019s goal to cut transport emissions<\/a> by 90 per cent by 2050, which include plans to move cargo off the roads and onto the waterways. But when drought lowers water levels, as happened in 2022 along the Rhine<\/a> in Germany, the result is not only major economic disruption, but it also throws a spanner in the works for climate targets. Global warming means this problem is likely to worsen: research from University College London<\/a> found that a 1-3\u00b0C increase in temperatures would reduce the water flow in 321 of the world\u2019s biggest river basins.<\/p>\n Low water volumes bring other problems. Take the 2022 Oder disaster<\/a> in Poland, where low volumes in combination with warmer temperatures and pollution created perfect conditions for a toxin-producing algae, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of tonnes of fish. \u2018In recent years, our understanding of water pollution has deepened,\u2019 says Caroline Whalley, an expert on water industries and pollution with the European Environment Agency<\/a> (EEA). \u2018Ensuring there is sufficient and equitable water for the environment, public supply, agriculture and industry is looking to become a major challenge as climate change impacts water resources,\u2019 adds Whalley, pointing to how this is being addressed in the European Commission\u2019s proposed revisions<\/a> to the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which calls for reduced pollution, emissions and energy use.<\/p>\n During droughts, low water flow means contaminants cannot be diluted, while in times of excess rain and flood, more contaminants run into the river. These currents of contamination put both ecosystems and human access to safe water under threat. \u2018We can have a situation where there\u2019s enough water for nature, people and irrigation, but the water quality is insufficient,\u2019 says Nynke Hofstra, associate professor in the Water Systems and Global Change Group at Wageningen University in the Netherlands and co-author of a recent study on water quality<\/a>. \u2018For example, if the water in the river is too warm, it cannot cool a power plant. Or if the water has a lot of heavy chemicals, cleaning it for drinking will take a lot more effort.\u2019<\/p>\n Hofstra calls for more comprehensive models for monitoring water quality: \u2018There\u2019s a direct link between temperature, precipitation change, and flow in the river. But for water quality, the relation is often more indirect.\u2019 A better understanding of sources, spatial patterns of water quality, and the impact and future trends would enable us to properly assess the consequences of climate change: \u2018We could say, for example, how many more people become ill [from] waterborne diseases due to climate change, or how many more people are affected by salinity,\u2019 says Hofstra.<\/p>\n Today, only 40 per cent of Europe\u2019s rivers, lakes and groundwaters are estimated to be in good condition, putting us far short of the EU\u2019s Water Framework Directive<\/a> goal to reach 100 per cent by 2027. \u2018It\u2019s an ambitious piece of law that looks at water in a holistic way, \u2026 but it\u2019s not very well implemented and enforced,\u2019 says Claire Baffert, senior water policy officer at the WWF European Policy Office. The WWF chairs Living Rivers Europe<\/a>, a coalition of six European NGOs set up to promote the application of the Water Framework Directive. \u2018It looks at the chemical status of the water. It looks at the ecological status \u2013 what kind of species you find? What does the river look like, are the river banks artificialised? It also looks at the amount and quality of groundwaters in the aquifers.\u2019<\/p>\n Beyond agriculture, Baffert says the main pressures on European rivers are alterations to their shape and flow from infrastructure \u2013 hydropower, flood defence and navigation features such as dams and dykes. \u2018There are more than one million river barriers in Europe, many of them small, and about 10 per cent no longer serve a purpose but are still major obstacles to things like fish passage and sediment transport. They seriously impair the river\u2019s natural functions,\u2019 says Baffert. Living Rivers Europe is advocating for restoring rivers so they can play a natural role as buffers against floods or water scarcity: \u2018When a river flows naturally \u2026 it\u2019s connected to its floodplains, [and] can expand laterally when there is flooding. You can avoid a lot of the damages just by allowing those floodplains to play their natural role as sponges.\u2019<\/p>\n Until now, we\u2019ve relied heavily on engineering to combat flooding, but climate change means it\u2019s no longer enough. This much was clear in Greece in early September, where rivers have been heavily regulated for agriculture: \u2018Greece still had massive [destructive] floods, showing that infrastructure is no longer a solid protection,\u2019 says Baffert. She points to how, after flooding of the Elbe in Germany caused major casualties in 2002, WWF Germany worked with the government to move dykes and restore the natural riverbank<\/a>. \u2018This is expected to reduce the flood stage by up to 30 centimetres over an area of several kilometres \u2013 this is significant impact,\u2019 says Baffert, adding that by allowing the river to expand, water can be stored in the ground again and this becomes a defence against drought.<\/p>\n Back in the UK, a small tributary has been causing problems in its North London neighbourhood, where increasing urbanisation means the water has nowhere to go during heavy rains. While 1,000 homes are at risk, this is nothing like the biggest flooding disasters across Europe. But for local residents, Action for Silk Stream<\/a> presents an opportunity to take action where they live, and help fix the problem one riverbank at a time.<\/p>\n \u2018This is a natural flood management programme. We ask [locals] to help by creating new wetlands, or doing simple things like clearing brambles,\u2019 says Liz Gyekye, communications manager at Thames21<\/a>, the campaign group that co-runs Action for Silk Stream and many other river restoration efforts around London. The Silk Stream project is part of a 150 million pounds flood resilience programme from the UK Environment Agency<\/a>, and the local councils are doing their part by bringing the heavy machinery as the campaign works to restore the natural shape of the Silk Stream. For Thames21 it\u2019s important to bring locals along in the work, says Gyekye: \u2018Climate change can be overwhelming, but when you\u2019re there and see it with your own eyes, you can feel like you\u2019re doing your small part. It\u2019s a tangible achievement.\u2019<\/p>\n Faced with life-threatening floods and destructive droughts, a swimmable river may seem like a lower priority. But if you can swim in the river, it means it\u2019s clean. Today, 85 per cent of official European bathing sites have excellent water quality<\/a>, thanks to decades of mandated improvements in urban wastewater treatment and tighter controls on pesticides and fertilisers. This figure only refers to Europe\u2019s 22,000 official bathing sites; many major rivers, including the Thames, are not designated for swimming. But several European cities, such as Berlin, Budapest, Vienna, Munich and Basel now officially have swimmable rivers. \u2018Urban waters where it is safe to bathe are an increasingly important asset for European cities. It provides opportunities for sport and leisure, with potential direct health benefits,\u2019 says Francesco Mundo, an expert on freshwater data and information at the EEA. \u2018Maintaining high quality in urban waters also brings wider socio-economic and environmental benefits, [and improves] quality of life.\u2019<\/p>\n Right now, years of stormwater management work is coming to a close in Paris, lifting a 100-year-long ban on swimming in the Seine <\/a>ahead of the 2024 Olympics. After events in three disciplines \u2013 the swimming marathon, and the swimming legs of the two triathlons \u2013 are held in the Seine, a key legacy of the Olympics will be for Parisians to once again be able to safely swim in their river.<\/p>\n To be able to swim in your city\u2019s river can be a powerful experience. Magnus Grimond is excited for Parisians who will soon get to commune with the Seine, just like he does with the Thames. Seeing the Thames at eye level gives you a unique vantage point, says Grimond: \u2018Swimming in the river is like nothing else. It\u2019s a magical experience, and feels like being out in the countryside.\u2019 Grimond\u2019s swimming group has over 1,000 members, and the group has started discussing moving further upstream to avoid the sewage effluent if the day comes \u2013\u00a0nearly 27,000 people have signed the petition<\/a> against the water company\u2019s plans, and the debate is heating up.<\/p>\n The Thames Water region would not be resilient to a 1-in-200 year drought \u2013\u00a0this is a fact. The campaigners are rooting for plans to speed up the repairs of water pipes to stem the leaks, and to build a new reservoir. But that won\u2019t be ready until 2040, and we\u2019ll have a lot of heatwaves before then. Something needs to be done to prepare for that, but what? Thames swimmers are still getting out their tow floats on a daily basis \u2013\u00a0you can spot them as far into central London as Putney (after which point it\u2019s prohibited<\/a>). It\u2019s a bittersweet irony to think that most Londoners still think the Thames is too dirty to swim in, because soon enough, they may be right.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n This article is published with the support of the European Parliament to the Green European Foundation.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nA difficult balance<\/h2>\n
Sharper focus on water quality<\/h2>\n
Restoring the natural shape of the river<\/h2>\n
The power of taking action<\/h2>\n
The unique perspective from the river<\/h2>\n