The Thames’ water quality has been slammed as the ‘lowest possible rating’ with fears growing over the safety of the Boat Race participants. Oxford and Cambridge meet on Sunday for the annual event – but a charity has raised concerns over the safety of the water.
E. coli bacteria—which disrupted River Seine-based events at last summer’s Paris Olympics—is prevalent in the River Thames. Testing of the water quality in the London river has shown levels of the bacteria are almost three times above the Environment Agency’s threshold for “poor” bathing waters, says environmental charity River Action. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has been told that his plans for healthier rivers are a ‘pipe dream’ and rowers have been urged not to enter the water.
“The Mayor of London’s vision for clean and healthy rivers is simply a pipe dream without systematic reform of the water industry and its regulators,” River Action’s Erica Popplewell told the BBC.
“Right now, if the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race were an official bathing site it would be graded poor, the lowest possible rating. 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.”
Boat race participants criticised the quality of the water after last year’s event. Organisers insist that measures are being taken to ensure better safety standards. Some of the advice reportedly given to rowers includes covering any blisters, wearing footwear when getting in and out of the boat, and not entering the water.
The Boat Race Company said: “Clearly the water quality testing carried out along the River Thames shows there is more work to be done to get our waterways where we all want them to be.”
Some participants criticised the standard of the water after last year’s race. The Boat Race Company says it is hopeful that the Tideway Tunnel, a deep-level sewer which started operating this year, will have a “transformative effect” on water quality.
Thames Water is committing £1.8million to river health in London. It is hoped that the Tideway Tunnel and other action to combat sewage will eradicate around 95 per cent of the untreated sewage currently entering the tidal Thames in a typical year.
Oxford rower James Doran says he and his team-mates have been taking precautionary measures to ensure they do not get ill during training. He said: “It is a concern and I’d say it has definitely got worse over my time here. We’re all concerned about it. We’re meticulous in washing our hands, showering straight away, cleaning all of our equipment.”
