- Jonah Fisher
- BBC Environment Correspondent
image source, Getty Images
Dozens of new beaches will be set aside for monitoring in the UK, the government announced on Monday, in the biggest ever expansion of wild swimming areas.
Twenty-seven new locations have been designated, most of them rivers, which means pollution testing will take place in the summer.
However, just because a place is officially designated as a bathing area does not mean it is clean.
Most of the more than 400 existing swimming spots meet minimum standards, but the two river facilities currently on the list are both rated 'poor'.
New swimming beaches range from beaches in Dorset to Derwentwater in the Lake District and the River Nidd in North Yorkshire.
Alison Biddulph is a wild swimmer from Shropshire who has led successful efforts to designate three sites along the River Severn and River Teme. She said the designation was “great news” but she had already carried out some tests and expected the Environment Agency to rate the site as “poor”.
“There are certainly problems with Shropshire's rivers,” she says. “It's not just sewage, but also agriculture, especially poultry farms. I hope this will spark local efforts to clean water.”
Water Minister Robbie Moore said: “We are committed to further improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and everyone who uses it.”
Of the 423 bathing facilities measured in the UK last year, 405 met at least the minimum standards of the Bathing Water Regulations. However, the number rated “very good” fell, while the number rated “poor” rose to its highest level since 2015.
The designated sites will be inspected by the Environment Agency during the sea bathing period, which runs from May 15 until the end of September.
The samples need to be processed within 24 hours, so they are sent by courier to the EA laboratory at Starcross, near Exeter, where they are analyzed by a team of scientists.
image source, Jonah Fisher/BBC
“We're looking for two different types of bacteria: E. coli and enterococci,” said Environment Agency microbiologist Jonathan Porter.
“These are used to indicate the potential presence of fecal material, or poo, in the water, which may come from a variety of sources, including humans, livestock, birds, and dogs.”
The results will then be published on the Environment Agency's Swimfo website and sites will be given a rating. Due to too much poop-related bacteria, bathing areas receive a “poor” rating and signs are installed warning people to avoid swimming.
Oxford's Wolvercote Mill Stream is a great example of what's in store with 16 new river bathing facilities. It was designated two years ago, but the water quality was rated “poor” in both 2022 and 2023. But the official name and accompanying exam system seem to be gaining traction, albeit slowly.
Claire Robertson, from campaign group Thames21, said: “If a designated bathing point breaks down, the law requires water companies, local authorities and the Environment Agency to work together to improve water quality. ” he says. “Had we not received the designation, we would not have been inspected and we would not have received the promise of upgrades.”
These promises have not yet translated into cleaner bathing water. And the clock is ticking. If a bathing facility is rated “poor” for his fifth consecutive year, it will lose both its designation and its inspection regime.
