Win for wild swimmers as government pledges crackdown on water pollution in bathing spots

Plans are being considered to increase the protection of England and Wales’ 550 water bathing spots from beyond the summer months and see the number expended to include popular surfing spots

Winter surfers and swimmers are set to be the big winners in plans to crackdown on the pollution of official water bathing spots and provide year round protection.

Ministers have today launched a consultation into England and Wales’s more than 550 official water bathing sites with a plan to increase the number to include areas popular for surfing.

Currently, the sites on the coast and on British rivers and lakes are only protected for the summer months and there are longstanding concerns that they are becoming poluted at other times of the year.

The consultation follows a crackdown on the water industry after a series of high profile cases of sewage being dumped into Britain’s waterways around the country including iconic sites like Lake Windermere.

Britain’s official bathing water sites mapped (Defra)

Water minister Emma Hardy said: “Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country. But the current system is not working for all those who use and enjoy our bathing waters, and reform is long overdue.

“That is why this Government will give more people the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.”

Bathing waters are officially designated outdoor swimming sites. England and Wales have over 550 designated bathing waters, which are monitored by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. Annual ratings classify each site as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’ on the basis of water quality.

In the consultation launched today (12 November), Defra and the Welsh Government are inviting the public, community groups, environmental groups, farmers, businesses and local authorities to share their views on modernising bathing water regulations to ensure a more flexible approach to designation and monitoring.

The proposed changes, which will benefit cold water swimmers and other water sports enthusiasts, include:

• Removal of fixed bathing water season dates (which currently runs from May to September) from the regulations to allow for a more flexible approach to monitoring, extending the dates of the bathing season to better reflect when people use bathing waters.
• Expanding the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, including paddle boarders and surfers.
• Further considering water quality and public safety when applications for new bathing waters are assessed.
• Introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites.
• Ending the automatic de-designation of bathing water status after 5 consecutive years of a site being rated ‘poor’, which can damage local tourism and businesses. Instead, underperforming sites will be individually reviewed by regulators, taking into account their unique circumstances.

Ben Seal, head of access and Environment at Paddle UK, on behalf of the Clean Water Sports Alliance said: “Access to clean, healthy, nature-rich blue spaces is crucial to the health and wellbeing of millions of people around the UK.

“We are a water sports nation, however, as a result of the sewage scandal, the public have become increasingly fearful of getting sick, doing the activity they love.

“Paddle UK and the 10 other National Governing Bodies of watersports that make up the Clean Water Sports Alliance, welcome the announcement that bathing waters rules are to be consulted on and brought up to date with new reforms.

“The 6 week consultation will be an important opportunity for the voices of recreational users to be heard. We encourage as many people to feed into the process as possible”.