The Wider Image: The Great British Sewage Dump

A picture taken on November 14, 2024, shows a photograph shot on 35mm film and developed in sewage-contaminated water, shows surfers and swimmers taking part in a mass ‘Paddle Out’ protest, by Brighton Pier, to demonstrate against the continued dumping of untreated sewage by water companies, off the coast of Brighton, Britain, May 18, 2024. Reuters photographer Dylan Martinez spent years travelling around Britain to capture the story of the country’s broken sewage system. However, he soon realised that much sewage contamination is invisible to the naked eye, and decided to use polluted water from his reporting trips to develop photos he purposely shot on film for the project. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez