A London rower told how she and crewmates became sick simultaneously after training on the Thames, putting the blame on ‘agua de caca’.
Eleanor Warren said she is not surprised that recent testing showed high levels of the poo bacteria E. coli in the water.
The rower and research scientist has been working with the charity River Action to monitor the river ahead of its biggest event of the year, when teams from Oxford and Cambridge will clash on the tideway tomorrow.
Since they started testing last month, 29.5% of samples have exceeded safe limits, and some were almost three times the Environment Agency’s threshold for bathing waters rated ‘poor’.
The highest reading was recorded at Chiswick Bridge, where the winning team’s cox is traditionally thrown into the river.
Dr Warren, 31, told Metro that there have been a few times where ‘multiple people’ have come down with diarrhea and vomiting at the same time after rowing on the Thames.
‘You can definitely tell when the water is extra bad,’ she said. ‘There will be brown foam, and it will be smelly.
‘And then when we take the boats off the water, you can see that they’re covered in a thick layer of scum.’
She shared Whatsapp messages from teammates in June 2023, after five of them became unwell at once with what they dubbed ‘Thames Belly’.
‘Wow, the Thames really is hating on us,’ one remarked after another complained of stomach cramps and ‘feeling trippy’.
Three members from Oxford’s team last year suffered from stomach bugs in the build-up to last year’s race, with rower Leonard Jenkins later suggesting his University’s losing effort was hampered by ‘so much poo in the water’.
River Action said their recent findings of high E. coli levels could not be explained by rainy weather increasing sewage discharges, because the weather has been generally warm and dry, which raises ‘serious questions about unlawful discharges or persistent pollution sources’.
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Rowers at Putney Town Rowing Club have been doing testing alongside rowers at Fulham Reach.
Dr Warren, who rows with Putney Town, said: ‘We as a club were interested in getting involved because we knew that people had been getting sick, and we were interested in like knowing how bad it actually is.
‘I’m on the water several times a week, and seeing what it’s like makes you want to make it better, both for myself and for others in the sport.’
The rower, who has a PhD in molecular biology, said of the results: ‘It’s not really shocking when you’ve seen the water quality for so many years, but it is disappointing.’
Sir Steve Redgrave has also spoken out about water quality ahead of the race, criticising the ‘unsafe’ water conditions.
The sporting legend, who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games between 1984 and 2000, said: ‘Rowers, river users, and the public deserve better.
‘This is not just about rowing. It’s about all river users’ public health. It’s about our environment. It’s about the future of one of the world’s most iconic rivers.’
The Boat Race stretch of the Thames is not designated as bathing water, but is regularly used for recreation, and it is traditional for the cox of the winning team to be thrown in after the race.
Swimming is permitted upriver of Putney Bridge as far as Teddington, although not encouraged.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has vowed to make make the capital’s waterways ‘swimmable by 2034’.
But River Action’s Head of Communities, Erica Popplewell, said this is ‘simply a pipe dream without systematic reform of the water industry and its regulators’.
She said a monitoring system meant to track sewage outflows at Kew had been offline from January 17, so it is not known how much sewage this pipe near the race finish could have been discharging.
It is understood that the monitoring system is now back online.
‘Precautionary measures in place’
The Boat Race said in a statement: ‘Water quality is an ongoing concern for the Boat Race.
‘We have put in place a series of precautionary measures this year to protect the health of our athletes.
‘Which includes guidance regarding the covering up of open wounds, regular handwashing, a cleansing station at the finish area and highlighting the risks of entering the water.’
What is E. coli?
E. coli, which stands for Escherichia coli, is a type of bacteria which lives in the intestines of animals and humans.
Most strains are not harmful and can even help with digestion, but some can cause tummy bugs, and other illnesses such as UTIs, pneumonia and kidney failure in severe cases.
It can be caught in many ways, including eating contaminated food, drinking or swimming in contaminated water, and contact with others who have it.
Most healthy people will recover in a week after they first notice stomach cramps, diarrhoea and vomiting, but those with weakened immune systems as more at risk, along with young children and the elderly.
Thames Water responded
A Thames Water spokesperson said: ‘Rivers are very dynamic environments, and samples can vary hugely within a short period of time. Paradoxically, recent tests on E. coli carried out by Fulham Reach Boat Club have results within the “excellent” threshold since the start of March.
‘The boat race route is not a bathing water area and so we are not funded to routinely disinfect or sterilise final effluent. In addition, The Thames Tideway Tunnel has prevented 6,376,450M³ of sewage from entering the tidal Thames since it was connected earlier this year and will reduce the volume of discharges entering the tidal Thames in a typical year by 95%.
‘We have and continue to deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure and the health of rivers. This includes £1.8 billion to improve river health in London over the next five years.
‘We are committed to seeing waterways thrive, but we can’t do it alone. E. coli can come from a variety of sources including animal faeces, agricultural waste, road run off and sewage. Transparency is at the heart of what we do, and we were the first water company to publish a real time data map on our website, before it became a legal requirement to do so.’
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