RIVER campaigners are demanding independent testing and action following new evidence that suggests the Ouse may contain high levels of a serious bacterium.
Ouse It or Lose, a water quality campaign group, are calling on water companies to take responsibility after the water at the Blue Bridge in York city centre has been reported to contain consistently high levels of E. coli.
They will be holding a public meeting this evening to discuss the issues with the public.
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The findings suggest the levels exceed the minimum 'sufficient' standard for inland bathing water, raising concerns about public health and the wider impacts of pollution.
Emilie Flower, co-founder of the Ouse It or Lose It campaign, said: "Ouse It or Lose It is about protecting our connection with the river, not accepting pollution as inevitable.
"A river people can safely enjoy is a river worth fighting for. That requires honest data, accountability and action from those responsible for protecting it."
The Blue Bridge site is not officially designated for bathing, but data from 21 sampling rounds since May 2026 recorded an average E. coli level of 1,379 cfu/100ml.
Emelie of Ouse it or Lose It (Image: Alice Kavanagh)
This figure exceeds the 900 cfu/100ml threshold used for the 'sufficient' inland bathing-water standard.
Campaigners at Ouse It or Lose It say that their testing followed established citizen-science protocols, with methods checked against Environment Agency testing.
Weekly results, funded by Surfers Against Sewage, offer snapshots of water quality but do not represent a definitive assessment of overall safety or pinpoint the source of contamination.
The findings come amid ongoing concerns about sewage discharges upstream - which the group are keen to state does not establish a link, but suggests the need for water-quality information to be accessible.
The river protest from Scarborough Bridge (Image: Alice Kavanagh)
The Environment Agency says it recorded 34 spill events at Rawcliffe Sewage Treatment Works in 2025, totalling 334 hours of discharge into the River Ouse/Rawcliffe Ings Drain.
Chris Stewart, science communicator and citizen scientist with Ouse It or Lose It, said: "We shouldn’t have to guess whether our river is safe.
"Our results raise serious questions, and Yorkshire Water, the Environment Agency, York City Council, North Yorkshire County Council, and individuals and companies responsible for pollution must help answer them.
"We need transparent, independent testing and action on pollution, not excuses."
One protester with his Ouse it or Lose it sign (Image: Alice Kavanagh)
Campaigners are also calling clear plans from Yorkshire Water and others on how they will address and prevent pollution, along with questions on pay and establishing a charter for Yorkshire's rivers.
Robin Norton, a rower from the York branch of Surfers Against Sewage, said: "The Yorkshire Water monopoly has under-invested in water quality for 30 years, preferring to build up debt and pay dividends out to foreign owners.
"Despite this, nature clings on and hundreds of us in York continue to take unnecessary risks to enjoy our wild waters."
Campaigners will gather at York Explore Library and Archive tonight (October 22) for a free event - What’s in the water? Using data to tackle misinformation and drive change - from 6pm to 7.30pm discuss the findings and push for action.