Boat Race rowers told to avoid the water as UK sewage dumping surges

Victorious rowers in Britain’s University Boat Race have been warned not to jump into the River Thames this weekend due to alarming levels of E. coli bacteria, as official data showed sewage spills hit a record high in 2023.

Regular dumping of raw sewage in rivers and seas has sparked anger in Britain, with privatised water companies accused of failing to invest in infrastructure, meaning they are routinely dumping sewage in waterways.

Data released on Wednesday showed that raw sewage...