Environment Secretary Steve Reed has vowed to clean up the River Thames following warnings that competitors in tomorrow’s Boat Race are risking their health. He said he was “angry” after sewage spilled into the Thames for almost 7000 hours last year.

The annual 4.2-mile race between Oxford and Cambridge universities traditionally ends with the winning team throwing their cox in the water but environmental campaigners have warned that the Thames has unsafe levels of E. coli bacteria. Race organisers have told rowers to cover open wounds and shower as soon as possible after coming off the water.

The Government has appointed Deputy Governor of the Bank of England Sir Jon Cunliffe to lead a review of the water industry “to find out exactly what’s gone wrong so we can put it right” and legislation will be introduced after he publishes findings in the summer, said Mr Reed.

The Environment Secretary condemned troubled water firm Thames Water, which is seeking a buyer after falling nearly £20 billion in debt, saying: “Thames Water has treated the river like an open drain while lining their bosses’ pockets with multimillion-pound bonuses.”

He said: “When sewage pours into the Thames, or any of our rivers, it’s no wonder people are so angry. I’m angry too.

“It’s shocking that last year sewage spilled into the Thames – along and around the Boat Race route – for close to 7,000 hours, or 1,343 spills in total. That’s five sewage spills every single day of the year.”

But Mr Reed said this would “come to an end” thanks partly to a new sewage tunnel that became fully operational in February.

He also highlighted plans to spend £20.5 billion across London and the wider Thames Valley region for maintenance and infrastructure upgrades to stop sewage spills.

He said: “Before last year’s Boat Race, some of the rowers were throwing up because of contaminated water. Britain deserves better.”

Sir Jon’s review will look at how customer bills are set, environmental regulation and how to attract long-term investment into the industry but it is thought unlikely to suggest reversing the privatisation of the water industry that took place in 1989.

Average water bills nationwide rose by £123, a massive 26%, on April 1 and have now reached £603 for 12 months. Thames Water bills rose by £151 or 31%.

Campaign group River Action has warned Boat Race winners to “think twice before throwing their cox in the Thames” after 29.5% of Thames Water samples exceeded safe E. coli limits for entering the water.

Erica Popplewell, River Action’s head of communities, said: “Right now, if the stretch of the Thames used for the Boat Race were an official bathing site it would be graded poor, the lowest possible rating.”

A Thames Water spokesperson said: “Rivers are very dynamic environments, and samples can vary hugely within a short period of time. For example, recent tests on E.coli carried out by Fulham Reach Boat Club have results within the ‘excellent’ threshold since the start of March.

“The Boat Race route is not a bathing water area and so we are not funded to routinely disinfect or sterilise final effluent. In addition, The Thames Tideway Tunnel has prevented 6,376,450M³ of sewage from entering the tidal Thames since it was connected earlier this year and will reduce the volume of discharges entering the tidal Thames in a typical year by 95%.

“We have and continue to deliver a record amount of investment to address our ageing infrastructure and the health of rivers. This includes £1.8 billion to improve river health in London over the next five years.”