‘Surfing in a sewer’: British windsurfer quits for Spain over water pollution

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One of the world’s leading windsurfers has quit the English south coast for Spain after describing training near her home like “surfing in a sewer”. Sarah Jackson has won two world championship silver medals and is ranked second in the world in her slalom discipline.

The 24-year-old has been forced to relocate, however, due to the conditions of the water at Hayling Island, a windsurfing hotspot in Hampshire.

“This being Britain, where rainfall is very high and because I have to train in all weathers, there were some days when I was basically surfing in a sewer,” Jackson said. “That’s not just unpleasant it’s actually health threatening, but it’s opened my eyes to the problem of pollution in our waterways, not just from sewage but from chemicals and plastics, too.”

The water around Hayling Island has become a matter of serious concern for locals. Data from Southern Water shows untreated sewage was released into the nearby Langstone and Chichester harbours for the equivalent of 102 days in 2021. Water companies are legally allowed to release sewage into waterways to prevent flooding of homes after storms. Not a single body of water in the UK is in good ecological and chemical health.

Jackson, who was born in Cheshire, has now relocated to Tenerife for her training. She has also become an ambassador for the Marine Conservation Society, a charity that aims to reduce ocean pollution by 2030.

“Because I spend so much time on the water – not just in the UK but around the world – I see at very close quarters the damage the human race is inflicting on the marine environment,” Jackson said.

Nicola Greaves, of the Marine Conservation Society, said: “Untreated sewage is being pumped into our seas for hundreds of thousands of hours each year, putting people, planet and wildlife at risk.

“Sarah sees first-hand the problems that our seas face and we’re grateful for her raising her awareness of our mission for cleaner, better-protected, healthier seas for everyone to enjoy.”