News archive

9 September 2026 – 'Council unanimously adopts Thriving Avon Charter'

Bristol City Council unanimously agreed to adopt the new bioregional charter recognising the rights of the Avon. As reported by Bristol 24/7, 'the Charter received unanimous support from councillors and its adoption will mean the river’s rights it contains, including to flow sustainably, to be free from pollution and to recover ecological function, will be considered across all decisions made by the council.'

Image: Robert Browne, Bristol 24/7

19 June 2026 – 'Flows of power: Community action, river guardianship, and the rights of the Avon'

Conham Bathing and We Are Avon collaborated with UWE academics on a blog published by New York University's MOTH Program (MOTH: More-Than-Human-Life).

'“We cannot protect something we do not love, we cannot love what we do not know, and we cannot know what we do not see. Or hear. Or sense.” Richard Louv’s words ring particularly true in the UK, where industrialization, urbanization, and a legal system bound to private property rights have left the nation ranking lowest in Europe for nature connectedness.'

Image: Elena Landinez, MOTH

18 February 2025 – 'River heroes’ film at a cinema near you'

The ‘Rave on for the Avon’ documentary, and our campaign, was featured in an article in Outdoor Swimmer magazine published today, 18 February 2025.

‘The joyful film about a community’s fight for its river Rave On For The Avon is now in cinemas. Following its first screening at Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire on 11th January, the feature length documentary film will be touring around the country with new dates being added all the time.’

14 November 2024 – Our campaign used as case study in review of bathing water regulations

The Office for Environmental Protection has published a review of Bathing Water regulations in England today, 14 November. The report includes a case study of our campaign at Conham River Park (p.80-2), which is used to illustrate the tensions often present between the bathing water regulations and the rights and restrictions in common law and local by-laws.

The report reads: “There appear to be some cases, however, where such [swimming] restrictions imposed on the basis (in whole or in part) on the grounds of protecting human health against protection could have the effect of preventing designation of a bathing water. This in turn could create the circularity that there is then little or no incentive or legal basis to improve the water quality for the purposes of protecting human health.”

12 November 2024 – Full Council passes motion on river pollution

Bristol City Council passed a motion on river pollution discussed during the Full Council meeting today, 12 November. 

The Golden Motion, put forward by the Liberal Democrat councillors, was entitled “Save our Rivers: Stopping the Sewage Scandal” and sparked a series of passionate, supporting speeches by councillors from all parties, some of whom referred to our campaign and citizen science data.

The motion passed unanimously, with 57 councillors voting for it to be taken on by the environment committee.

8 November 2024 – 'Bristol's anti-pollution campaigners take the fight to Parliament'

Conham Bathing campaigners joined the national March for Clean Water on Sunday, 3 November. Louis Inglis, of HANA News, covered the march in a feature published today. He spoke to Charlotte (Conham Bathing member and director of Rave on for the Avon):

“Film maker Charlotte Sawyer has been following the Conham campaign and recently released a documentary titled Rave On for the Avon. She was filming the March for Clean Water for her upcoming feature the Wye Way.

She told HANA News in Parliament Square: “I’m here trying to tell intimate, human stories of people who love the river. There’s a bit of a funny place that we’ve got to where rivers are seen as this resource, but everyone who’s fighting to protect rivers don’t. They see them as something beautiful that deserves protecting.”

27 October 2024 – ‘It is about people’s love of the river’: swimming group fighting for rights in the Avon

The launch of our Thriving Avon Charter was exclusively reported by the Guardian in both its online and print editions. 

Jamie Grierson writes “Conham Bathing, an advocacy group made up of women in their 20s and 30s, has launched the Thriving Avon Charter in a move to raise the profile of rights for rivers.

The move is inspired by campaigners worldwide who have secured legal personhood or “rights of nature” for rivers such as the Whanganui in New Zealand, and in the UK with the Ouse in Lewes and the Dart in Dartmoor.”

16 June 2024 – 'A sickening end to River Avon journey: meet the bathers battling a sewage scandal'

Our campaign group was interviewed in the final instalment of The Times’ series exploring river pollution in the run-up to the national election this summer.

‘I am on the final stage of a river-level election trip along the Bristol Avon’ writes Damian Whitworth, ‘which last year was affected by more sewage spills than any other river in the south of England.’

Image: Jack Hill

15 June 2024 – 'Campaigners set for talks on wild swimming project'

The BBC published an article about our campaign and the soft launch of our Thriving Avon Charter, which we presented todayto city councillors and local residents after the final preview screening of Rave on for the Avon. (We will be sharing more information about the charter very soon!)

Journalist Chloe Harcomb writes ‘The group's work has been endorsed by former Bristol mayor, George Ferguson, and comedian and actor, Jayde Adams.’

Image: Jack Hill

1 June 2024 – 'Bacteria and Bureaucrats: Is there hope for the 27 new bathing sites?'

Our campaign was featured in an article published by the Outdoor Swimming Society.

Patrick Nayor writes ‘Since 2021, the Conham Bathing Group have tried to secure Bristol City Council’s permission to apply for DBWS, but the Mayor has refused to give his permission due to the existence of a local byelaw which prohibits swimming – even though Conham River Park is a well-known swimming spot.’

2 April 2024 – 'River Avon has some of the most sewage spills in England'

Bristol 24/7 shared the Guardian analysis in an article published today, 2nd April.

Mia Vines Booth writes: ‘[the Avon] is the only river in the south of England to feature in the worst ten, coming behind the River Darwen near Blackburn and Preston.

Wessex Water, whose catchment area takes in the River Avon, said the high number of sewage spills was due to the fact that 2023 was the fourth wettest year since records began.’

Image: Martin Booth

27 March 2024 – Avon is the 3rd most polluted river in England from sewage, Guardian finds

According to new analysis published in the Guardian, the Bristol Avon is the 3rd most polluted river from sewage in England, and the most polluted in Southern England.

The article also features a postcode search tool so readers can find out how their local waterways rank in sewage pollution.

23 March 2024 – 'Bristol residents want wild swimming on the Avon'

Our campaign for Designated Batiing Water Status was covered in an article published in the BBC today, 23rd March.

The article features an interview with Conham Bathers Eva and Emma.

‘Dr [Eva] Perrin, an expert in freshwater ecology, said that DBWS would be "a mechanism for wider change".

"We just don't have enough data to understand the impact of sewage on the ecosystem," she said.

"Rivers are such dynamic systems, with so many inputs throughout the whole catchment basin that can affect any given bathing site."‘

Image: Louis Inglis

13 March 2024 – 'How the fight of river bathers is being highlighted on the big screen'

Bristol 24/7 published an article about the upcoming Bristol screening of Rave on for the Avon.

‘It was [Charlotte] Sawyer’s love and admiration of this small section of the River Avon in St George and a growing sense of frustration at the illnesses it is linked to, that inspired the filmmaker to create a feature-length film documenting how people are reclaiming the beauty spot and campaigning for it to be made safe.’

1 February 2024 – Eva interviewed in Outdoor Swimmer magazine

Eva was interviewed in this month’s issue of Outdoor Swimmer magazine. In an article written by Rowan Clarke, she talks about how she first got involved in the campaign during her PhD and has now gone on to work for Surfers Against Sewage while continuing her campaign work:

“Conham’s important to me, so I ended up tying together my love of water with my academic background and got involved with this community group..”

28 January 2024 – Riverside litter pick with the Bristol Right to Roam campaign 

This weekend we joined the Bristol branch of the Right to Roam campaign in a litter pick on the banks of the River Avon at Eastwood Farm Nature Reserve.

Following the floods, the riverbanks have been inundated with plastic pollution. We found cans and bottles, food packaging, plastic bags, used vapes, and even old phone batteries.

Becca spoke to the group about how our campaign for better river water quality has come up against water access issues.

11 November 2023 – Conham Bathing at SAS Bathing Water Conference

Both Eva and Becca from Conham Bathing gave talks today at Surfers Against Sewage’s first Bathing Water Conference.

Eva spoke about the power of citizen science to raise public awareness of river pollution issues, while Becca spoke about how bathing water campaigns can represent your community.

It was a fantastic day meeting other bathing water campaign groups from across the country who are speaking up for their rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Read more about the event on SAS’ webpage.

22 June 2023 - 'Campaigners ‘marry’ River Avon as battle against water sewage pollution continues'

The Bristol Cable covered the Save our Avon day in a recent online edition. Reporter Louis Inglis writes about campaigner and artist Megan Ruth-Trump’s wedding ceremony to the Bristol Avon. Conham Bathing members Emma, Eva and Becca (pictured) were also in attendance and spoke to the publication about the campaign.

‘Conham Bathing are now entering their third summer of testing, and manage an online database tracking sewage spills into the Avon between Bristol and Bath’ writes Inglis.

20 June 2023 – 'Sewage spill at popular swimming spot reignites calls for change in law'

Bristol 24/7 published an article on 20th June about the recent sewage spills at Conham River Park during the peak bathing season.

Mia Vines Booth writes “If the council was to designate Conham River Park bathing water status, the area could be protected from further sewage spills down the line.”

21 May 2023 – 'How do we fix Britain’s water crisis?'

Campaign founder Becca spoke to Jon Yeomans at the Sunday Times about why she started the campaign for designated bathing water status at Conham.

“I didn’t know much about overflows or that they had become common practice,…I was outraged when I found out.”

Image: The Sunday Times

20 May 2023 – Conham Bathing joins SAS Paddle Out protest at Warleigh Weir

On 20 May, ocean and river activists gathered at many sites across the UK to take part in Surfers Against Sewage “paddle out protest” against sewage pollution. Emma and Lindsey joined the protest at Warleigh Weir (along with 80 others!), whilst Eva headed up the protest at Bedford.

Image: Earth Minutes (Instagram: @earthminutesuk)

30 March 2023 – Conham Bathing on BCfm One Love One Planet podcast

Becca and Eva joined One Love One Planet host Shona Jemphrey for a chat about the campaign, including some of the achievements and obstacles so far, and our hopes for the future.

9 February 2023 – 'Revealed: Data tool shows extent of sewage spills at popular Bristol swimming spot – and it’s grim'

The Bristol Cable published an article about our new sewage data tool.

‘Wessex Water has released untreated sewage into the River Avon near Conham River Park for more than 200 hours already this year, according to a new data tool’ writes reporter Billy Stockwell.

Image: The Bristol Cable

15 November 2022 – 'Conham's wild swimmers vow to keep fighting despite being 'ignored' by mayor'

The Bristol Post published an article covering our response to the mayor’s disappointing statement.

Reporter Tristan Cork writes ‘‘[The mayor] went against a 5,200-signature petition and the unanimous cross-party support of all the councillors in Bristol and said he would not be altering a byelaw which prohibits anyone swimming in the River Avon or the Floating Harbour.’

Image (still): Bristol Live

20 October 2022 – 'Popular swimming spot near Bristol could be cleaned up after thousands sign petition'

The Bristol Cable covered the council debate in their online news, writing ‘[at] a full council meeting this week, councillors from all parties voiced support for calls to scrap a rule banning swimming in the river, which could lead to the water at Conham River Park getting cleaner.’

Image: The Bristol Cable

18 October 2022 – 'Water Users Deliver SAS Petition To Government'

Conham Bathing members Becca and Eva joined Surfers Against Sewage in Westminster as they delivered their national petition to government demanding 200 river bathing waters by 2030.

51,689 signed the petition to demand action for our inland blue spaces.

18 October 2022 - 'Bristol swimmers campaign for river bathing rights'

The BBC also covered the full council debate in their online news this evening.

‘The [Conham Bathing] campaign has had vocal backing, and dozens of swimmers danced on College Green in an event called Rave on for the Avon’.

18 October 2022 – 'Protesters strip off for wild swimming demonstration'

Bristol 24/7 published an article about this evening’s debate, as well as the swimming rave held on College Green. ‘Protesters donning swimming caps and bathing suits held a mini rave outside City Hall.’

Journalist Mia Vines Booth noted the positive support for the campaign from city councillors: ‘Members of Bristol’s Labour Group pledged their support for the petition…’

Image: Rob Browne / Bristol 24/7

18 October 2022 – 'Swimmers in Speedos to call on council to back clean river pledge at Conham River Park'

The Bristol Post published an article about the upcoming debate on our petition at today’s Full Council meeting.

Image: The Bristol Post

23 August 2022 – Public survey published

Last year, we asked the public what they think about designating this stretch of the river as a bathing water. Over 900 people responded, many of whom gave thoughtful and considered narrative responses. Click the link below to read the full report.

13 August 2022 – 'This week in Bristol: Wild swimming petition triggers council debate'

The Bristol Cable highlighted our petition in their weekly round-up of news in Bristol.

Image: The Bristol Cable

10 August 2022 – 'Swimming ban at Conham River Park in Bristol to be debated'

The BBC published an article about our petition reaching the required 3,500 signatures needed for a Full Council debate.

9 August 2022 – 'Conham River Park wild swimming petition triggers full council debate'

The Bristol Post published an article about our petition reaching the required 3,500 signatures needed for a Full Council debate.

Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC.

9 August 2022 - 'Wild swimmers petition to be debated at full council'

Bristol 247 published an article about our petition reaching the required 3,500 signatures needed for a Full Council debate.

Image: Martin Booth/Bristol 247

26 July 2022 – 'Thousands want council to drop bylaw banning swimming at popular spot'

The Bristol Post published an article about our petition demanding Bristol City Council to support our DBWS bid.

Image: PAUL GILLIS / Reach PLC.

21 July 2022 – 'Should rivers be given the same legal rights as humans?'

The Bristol Cable spoke to Conham Bathing member Becca about the recent setback to our campaign when the Council refused to support our bathing water application. Beyond designated bathing water status, they discuss whether a system of legal rights for rivers could be beneficial in the fight against pollution. 

Image: The Bristol Cable

15 July 2022 – 'Bristol: Conham River campaign to tackle sewage pollution'

The BBC has reported on our campaign and, in particular, our petition demanding Bristol City Council to support our fight against sewage pollution. The article features an interview with Eva, who discussed sewage pollution with BBC Radio Bristol presenter Claire Cavanaugh yesterday.

13 July 2022 – 'Surge of support for campaign to tackle sewage pollution in River Avon'

Bristol 24/7 has published an article covering the surge of support for our petition.

‘Campaigners are not giving up their fight to address the growing problem of raw sewage pollution in a much-loved swimming spot.’

30 June 2022 – 'Council blocks hopes of securing special bathing water status for Bristol beauty spot'

Bristol 24/7 has published an article on Bristol City Council’s refusal to support our bathing water application.

As Ellie Piper reports, ‘The blow to the campaign comes in the week the newly-formed Office for Environmental Protection launched an investigation into the regulation of combined sewer overflows going into our waterways and England’s chief medical officer declared sewage pollution a public health issue, stating water companies are not doing enough.’

15 February 2022 – 'Some of the UK’s most popular wild swimming spots awash with dangerous levels of toxic bacteria'

An article published by iNews on Tuesday lists Conham Bathing among the community groups nation-wide who are campaigning for designated bathing water status for inland waters.

(Images: Neville Dowley; The Rivers Trust)

3 November 2021 – 'Revealed: Untreated sewage is being dumped into our rivers thousands of times a year. Who’s to blame and can it be stopped?'

Our water sampling data was included in an investigation of sewage pollution in the River Avon conducted by The Bristol Cable .

(Image: The Bristol Cable)

21 June 2021 – 'The group fighting to end sewage pollution in beloved Bristol swimming spot' 

Our campaign was featured in an article published by Bristol 24/7 on Thursday, 17 June 2021. The article mentions the growing public concern around sewage pollution of UK rivers, and the lack of data available to those who wish to bathe outdoors.