Thames Water dismisses a study of water quality on the regatta course as 'alarmist'.
Campaign group River Action said its water sampling by citizen scientists near Fawley Meadows showed "alarmingly high levels" of E.coli bacteria which can cause serious infections.Regatta organisers have issued guidance to participants on "minimising the risk of illness due to proximity to polluted water."Four hundred races are staged over a course of one mile 550 yards during the world-renowned Henley Royal Regatta which begins on Tuesday.
James Wallace, chief executive of River Action demanded steps are taken to halt the "deluge of raw sewage" into the Thames. Thames Water said it saw spikes in E.coli readings on two days in May and two days in June following rainfall, adding that "multiple sources are likely to have contributed to these elevated readings, which could include farming, industry, road runoff and wildlife".
"We need honest and balanced debate that recognises the range of factors impacting river health, rather than an alarmist approach that tries to apportion blame in a misguided way," it added. "Sampling the same stretch of river not at the same time means you can generate two datasets that don't agree with each other.
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