England is set for a significant expansion of monitored wild swimming areas as the government unveils 27 new bathing sites, prioritising rivers for summer pollution testing. Although official designation of these sites does not guarantee cleanliness, it helps identify areas in need of improvement. More than 400 existing swimming spots already meet basic standards, however, just two of the current river sites have been rated as “Poor”. The new bathing sites stretch from the Derwentwater in the Lake District, to a beach in Dorset and the River Nidd in North Yorkshire.
Alison Biddulph, a wild swimmer from Shropshire, praised the designations as “fantastic news” but anticipates the Environment Agency will rate local sites as “Poor”. She added that “We definitely have issues in the rivers in Shropshire, not just sewage but also agriculture and particularly chicken farms. I’m hoping this will kickstart some action locally to clean the waters.” Water Minister Robbie Moore praised these efforts to improve water quality, and committed to further raising the standard of England’s coastal waters, rivers, and lakes.
Last year, of the 423 bathing sites measured throughout England, 405 met minimum standards. Despite this, the number rated as “Excellent” fell and those rated as “Poor” rose to their highest level since 2015. Designated sites are tested by the Environment Agency throughout the bathing season between May 15th and the end of September. Samples are processed at the Environmental Agency’s laboratory in Starcross near Exeter, where scientists analyse them for two types of bacteria, e.coli, and intestinal enterococci.
The Environment Agency publishes the results on its Swimfo website and rates bathing sites based on their bacterial count. Those exceeding the limit get a “Poor” rating with an advisory sign advising against swimming. Wolvercote Mill Stream in Oxford serves as a good example of what may lie ahead for 16 new river bathing sites, being designated two years ago and yet having its water quality rated as “Poor” in both 2022 and 2023. Designation and testing requirements do focus attention on these areas, however, improvements may take time. If a bathing site receives a “Poor” rating for five consecutive years, it loses both its designation and its testing regime
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