Surfers Against Sewage Case Study
Turning the tide on sewage pollution.
Raw sewage hits UK seas and rivers far more often than anyone likes to think. Surfers Against Sewage built the Safer Seas & Rivers Service to warn people in real time, and trusted us to shape and scale where this one-of-a-kind app goes next.
208,000+ people now check before they get in 🌊
An app that makes UK waters...
THE CHALLENGE
"Is it safe?" shouldn't take a research degree to answer.
Coastal, river and sewer data all exists. Just scattered, out of sync and hard to read.
We took on another team's codebase, trusted to lead where the product goes next.
Every roadmap had to balance rock-solid stability with the bold features a growing movement deserves.
THE SOLUTION
Live Status at 650+ Locations
At-a-glance water quality for bathing spots across the UK, now covering Scottish waters too.
Alerts That Take You Somewhere
Real-time pollution warnings with plain guidance, deep-linking straight to a location, a live campaign, or a petition ready to sign.
The Full Sewage Picture
A dedicated Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) map of 17,000+ overflow points, kept in its own space so the quick "is it safe" check stays quick.
Report It
Submit a sickness report or photo evidence in a few taps, pre-filled with your location when you're signed in.
Campaigns Where You Are
Every location surfaces its active campaigns, plus a Demand Action option to contact your MP or the water company CEO directly.
Favourites and History
Track your beaches and rivers, get tailored alerts, and see pollution events from the past day or week before deciding to get in.
THE IMPACT
The app protects the swim. The data powers the fight.
Award-Winning Water Safety
Best Travel & Leisure App at the UK App Awards, shortlisted for a 2026 UK Digital Excellence Award, and studied by Horizon Europe's Blue Adapt project for how real-time alerts change behaviour.
Download the Safer Seas & Rivers Service
Free, in UK app stores
