Environmental campaigners have published figures showing that water companies released sewage into English waters for more than 43,000 hours during July and August.
The data, compiled by Surfers Against Sewage, indicates that more than 2,000 hours of sewage discharge occurred in designated bathing areas, equivalent to approximately two and a half months.
The August Bank Holiday weekend alone accounted for discharges totalling 34 days in bathing waters.
Oxford’s sole designated bathing water location, situated at Wolvercote Mill Stream, received a poor classification for the fourth consecutive year.
The Environment Agency conducts weekly water sampling, analysing for intestinal Enterococci and E.
coli bacteria.
Thames Water documented discharges into the Faringdon Stream within the preceding 48 hours.
Such overflow events may have allowed sewage to enter the waterway.
Water companies maintain legal permission to release sewage into rivers and coastal areas during periods of heavy precipitation.
The charity’s Safer Seas and Rivers Service application issued 290 sewage alerts throughout the summer period.
Almost 85 percent of these warnings applied to bathing locations that the Environment Agency had classified as possessing good or excellent water quality.
Surfers Against Sewage recorded 636 incidents of individuals falling ill following exposure to rivers, lakes, and coastal waters during July and August.
The reported conditions included gastrointestinal infections, skin complaints, ear problems, and eye infections, with some cases requiring hospital admission.
The organisation submitted a petition carrying more than 330,000 signatures to Downing Street on Thursday, calling for legislative action through a Clean Water Bill.