A campaign group has warned people using the River Ure at Aysgarth Falls to take extra care after a year of water quality monitoring found consistently high levels of bacterial pollution.
Stop Ure Pollution (SUP) carried out weekly testing at the popular beauty spot between June 2025 and June 2026 using the Bactiquick bacterial endotoxin testing system, producing what the group believes is one of the most comprehensive independent datasets collected on the river.
The results showed that 88.2% of weekly samples fell into the “High Risk” category for bacterial contamination, while just 2.9% were classified as low risk.
The group is now urging swimmers, paddleboarders, kayakers, canoeists, anglers, dog walkers and anyone entering the river to take precautions to reduce the risk of illness.
Endotoxins are recognised indicators of bacterial contamination and can cause inflammatory reactions in humans. According to the group, exposure to contaminated water has been linked to skin and eye irritation, respiratory problems, fever-like symptoms and stomach illnesses.
SUP says it is regularly contacted by people who report becoming unwell after using the River Ure and has installed warning signs at popular access points.
The organisation advises river users to avoid swallowing river water, wash their hands after leaving the river, shower as soon as possible, cover open cuts before entering the water, stop dogs from drinking river water where pollution is suspected and take extra care following heavy rainfall or when the river appears particularly cloudy.
Analysis of the results suggests the highest bacterial readings are closely linked to increased turbidity – cloudy water caused by suspended particles. The group believes the pollution is likely to result from a combination of agricultural runoff, including slurry and farmyard manure, together with untreated sewage discharges.
During the 2025-26 winter spreading season, SUP volunteers reported what they believed to be illegal slurry spreading across 192 acres of farmland to the Environment Agency. The group said the agency had indicated it was preparing further monitoring and enforcement work ahead of the coming winter.
SUP also highlighted publicly available data showing Yorkshire Water’s 18 sewage treatment works within the River Ure catchment recorded 1,797 sewage overflow events during 2025, lasting a combined 4,215 hours.
Richard Loukota, chairman of Stop Ure Pollution, said: “After testing the River Ure weekly for the past year at two locations, the extent of the pollution has become abundantly clear. These are not isolated incidents or one-off pollution events – they point towards a river under continual pressure from multiple sources.
“We believe the long-term solution is equally clear. Illegal slurry spreading must be eliminated through stronger monitoring and enforcement, while Yorkshire Water must continue investing in its sewage treatment infrastructure to reduce spills.
“Only by tackling agricultural runoff and sewage pollution together will we begin to restore the River Ure to the healthy river that local communities, wildlife and visitors deserve.”
Stop Ure Pollution said it will continue its weekly monitoring programme throughout 2026 and publish further findings as more data becomes available. The group thanked its volunteers, members, The National Lottery Community Fund and Surfers Against Sewage for supporting the project.
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I’m amazed no one seems concerned about Yorkshire Water pumping water we drink out of our taps in most of Wensleydale out of the river Ure at Kilgram Bridge in lower Wensleydale which must have some of this pollution in it.