Swimming in Sh*t
By Nicole McCarthy
As humans living in a society disconnected from nature, we are all searching for a more meaningful relationship with the world around us. During the pandemic, I discovered the massive mental and physical benefits which can come with open-water swimming. I was not at all surprised to learn that I was part of a wider trend which seems to be here to stay.
Spending time in nature is proven to reduce our stress levels and the risk of developing depression. Although it may seem daunting to haul yourself and all of your swimming gear out to the beach instead of your local pool, when I actually make the effort, I always find the extra labour really worthwhile.
The benefits to regularly plunging yourself into freezing cold waters go beyond the smug ‘I did a sunrise sea swim this morning’ photos that you can post on Instagram, or finally getting some use out of the Dryrobe knockoff that’s been in your wardrobe since last summer (and was still far too expensive). What can initially feel like a form of self-torture can actually result in a reduction in your likelihood of getting cancer, or having heart disease. It also enables clearer sinuses, can reduce muscle pain and increase blood flow and circulation. [1]
For me, however, the real joy is in getting a better night's sleep as well as feeling on top of the world after you take the plunge. There is nothing that helps with mindfulness more than the sharp shock of the Irish Sea (and that's the mid-summer temperature). It also helps me feel connected to nature which I appreciate more now that I have moved from the foot of the mountains to the city centre.
Wading through waste
We spend our lives wading through the figurative shit that capitalism throws at us, but for wild swimmers in Ireland, it’s literal as well.
Wild swimmers are often left in a very frustrating situation when the EPA closes bathing spots polluted with wastewater from sewage systems, run-off or animal faeces. [2] Swimming in shit is not only disgusting, it can cause skin rashes and stomach upset.
The EPA’s annual report on water quality only covers testing during the officially designated bathing season between June 1 and September 15. The EPA themselves point out that these swimming spots are used year-round, meaning that this is not a true capture of the waters in which we tread. [3]
This summer saw a complete ban on swimming at Sandymount Strand when the EPA classified the waters as “Poor”, the lowest classification possible, indicating the presence of E. coli and other bacteria that make people sick. The ban was also reinforced by a foul smell of sewage and algae which would deter even the most committed bather. [4]
We have the power to avoid waters deemed unsafe by health authorities, but, the natural life living there does not. Raw sewage can lead to algal blooms that ultimately kill other marine life. Excessive amounts of algae block the light needed by underwater plants for photosynthesis. It also reduces oxygen levels when the algae die and are consumed by bacteria. [5]
Water we waiting for?
We have surveys, facts and figures that show how important a person’s relationship with nature is for our well-being. We also have the details about how harmful dumping raw sewage into our open waters is for every living thing. Yet like with all environmental actions taken under capitalism, there seems to be a disparity between this understanding of what needs to be done and the reality of what actions are taken.
Clearly, a huge investment is needed in our waterways. Many environmentalists wanted water charges for this very reason. However, a quick look at the privatisation of water in the UK illustrates how disastrous this would have been.
In 2023 privatised water firms released raw sewage for a total of 3.6m hours, more than double the amount recorded the year before. [6] Households in England and Wales have seen the cost of their public water services rise by approximately 40% since privatisation. So, fees have gone up, but so has the dumping of raw sewage.
We need a referendum to enshrine our right to water in the Irish constitution and we need to do all that we can to protect against any future attempt at privatisation. We have a duty to stop the current environmental damage being done, but also to educate people on the importance of clean water so that those managing our water systems will be held accountable.
With such obvious positive impacts, our ability to safely partake in wild swimming needs to be protected. Capitalism has tried its best to commercialize and profit from wild swimming: inventing a whole host of gadgets, some useful, some not. However, part of the beauty of sea swimming is that it is still free and wild, which is something to be Shell-ebrated.
Notes
1. Katherine Flynn, Ir Med J; October 2023; Vol 116; No. 9; P851 19th October, 2023.
2. Caroline O'Doherty, “Beaches in Dublin, Donegal and Galway declared no-swim zones over water fears”, Irish Independent, 12 May 2023.
3. Caroline O'Doherty, “Beaches in Dublin, Donegal and Galway declared no-swim zones over water fears”, Irish Independent, 12 May 2023.
4. Amy Donohoe, “Swimmers urged to avoid Sandymount Strand due to ‘sewage smells, algae and dog poo’”, Irish Independent, 7 May 2024.
5. United States Environmental Protection Authority, “The Effects: Dead Zones and Harmful Algal Blooms”, December 16, 2024.
6. Simon Jack, “The water industry is in crisis. Can it be fixed?”, BBC.com, 25 October 2024.