As a middle-class woman in my 30s, I had no choice but to fully accept that there is one cliché in particular. It's like, “I love swimming wild.” What started out as a simple gratitude for being in the ocean, things quickly escalated to the point where I no longer recognized myself. I'm that person who wore a dry robe and went shopping every week. I rotate wetsuit boots and sea shoes seasonally. I bought a waterproof bag that doubles as a luminescent float. And most importantly, I have an app that tells me if the ocean I live in is full of human waste.
This last piece of essential kit is why I'm not as overjoyed as I should be at the news that 27 new monitored beaches will be built in the UK. This is the largest ever expansion of a wild swimming area. At first glance, this is great. The new sites are primarily rivers, and their “designated” status means they will be tested for contamination throughout the summer.
But sadly, measuring the cleanliness of a place doesn't actually make it clean. It's just a matter of knowing how clean they are (or not). The Environment Agency's ratings range from “poor” to “excellent,” with “satisfactory” and “good” grades in between. Of the 423 currently designated spots, 405 met the minimum swimming standards ('satisfactory') last year. The number of spots rated “excellent” fell by nearly 6% year-on-year, but the number of “poor” spots in 2023 was four times as high as in 2021, reaching a total of 18 last year. . This is the highest level since the four-tier classification system was introduced in 2015.
In the coastal town of Folkestone, where I live, the changes in water quality are depressing. In 2021, it was awarded an “excellent” rating. It was downgraded to “good” in 2022. Last year, it sank back to “enough.” Will we be “poor” in 2024? I can't wait to find out!
Shropshire swimmer Alison Biddulph, who led a successful campaign to have three sites along the River Severn and River Teme designated for swimming this summer, said the Environment Agency had designated them as 'on the basis of her own inspection'. I've already said that I think I'll rate it as “poor.”
“There are certainly problems with Shropshire's rivers,” she told the BBC. “This applies not only to sewage, but also to agriculture, especially poultry farms. I hope that this will spark local efforts to clean water.”
Designated baths undergo regular inspections from mid-May to the end of September to measure cleanliness, followed by a comprehensive classification each year. The sample will be analyzed to check the level of bacteria – Escherichia coli and intestinal Enterococcus – This indicates the level of faeces in the water. Too much poop? Signs have been posted prohibiting swimming.
As for me, I stopped checking the aforementioned Safer Seas and Rivers Service (SSRS) app earlier this year, and it's great. A map of the UK is displayed, with a green checkmark or red cross next to over 450 locations, indicating whether you should bathe there, based on real-time information about sewage emissions and pollution risks. Masu. Although I was enthusiastic about using it at first, I soon became afraid to tap the SSRS icon. I found it very unfortunate that the intended dip could be derailed by the scarlet “X”. So I just…opted out. Yes, I was disgusted, but I chose to be blissfully ignorant rather than never go into the ocean again.
Ignoring the warning and rushing to play without risking your health is not a particularly wise move. Swimming in dirty water can lead to various illnesses, including stomach upset. Infections of the skin, ears, eyes, and chest. sore throat; hepatitis; Escherichia coli. According to the SSRS survey, 55 per cent of Brits who tried wild swimming or other water sports reported feeling unwell at least once afterwards.
Deterioration of Britain's waters is progressing steadily and insidiously
Although it has not always been this way, the degradation of Britain's waters has been steady and insidious. As a country, we lag behind 30 EU countries in the quality of bathing water, and the UK has the fifth highest proportion of 'poor' bathing water in Europe. Only 14% of rivers meet ecologically 'good' status due to agricultural pollution and sewage, but 75% of rivers inspected by SSRS volunteers would be rated 'poor' under the Bathing Directive. become.
Last summer, 57 swimmers famously fell ill at the World Triathlon Championship Series in Sunderland. It causes toes to curl and a stomach-churning feeling of national shame. The world was watching, but what did they see? A country that makes athletes swim like crazy. Nice.
Water Minister Robbie Moore says he is “committed to further improving the quality of our coastal waters, rivers and lakes for the benefit of the environment and all those who use it”. The Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced: Negotiations are expected to begin later this year. Proposed reforms to bathing water regulations in the UK include changes to promote improved water quality, increased monitoring and greater flexibility around monitoring season dates. What impact this will have remains to be seen.
But as one activist pointed out, increasing the number of swimming spots classified as “designated” is an important step in the right direction (no matter how filthy they turn out to be).
“The law states that if a designated bathing water point breaks down, the water company, local authority and the Environment Agency must work together to improve the quality of the water.” Claire Robertson from campaign group Thames21 said after the stream. Oxford's university was designated two years ago and rated 'poor' in 2022 and 2023. “Without the designation, we would not have been inspected and we would not have received the promise of upgrades.”
Let's hope that the expansion of wild swimming areas will begin to stamp out the practice in England. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to spending the summer ignoring the app and dying of diarrhea every time I go into the ocean.
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