Twelve of England’s 14 existing official river bathing sites were rated poor for bacteria linked to faeces, as more inland locations are added for testing.
People are being advised not to swim at 12 of England’s 14 official inland river bathing sites after tests found poor water quality linked to bacteria from human and animal faeces.
The findings, reported by the BBC after visits to all 14 existing river sites tested by the Environment Agency last year, come as the government announces six more river bathing locations will be monitored for the first time this summer, including the first such site on the River Thames in London.
Only two of the existing inland river locations — the River Stour in Suffolk and the River Thames in Oxfordshire — had acceptable water quality levels. The remaining 12 were rated “poor,” triggering advice for people not to swim.
The new river sites are part of 13 additions to England’s official bathing water list, taking the number of locations regularly tested by the Environment Agency to more than 460. Most designated bathing waters are coastal, though a growing number are freshwater rivers and lakes. Test results are published on a government website.
Designation brings regular water-quality monitoring, but it does not mean a river is immediately safe for swimming. Bathing sites must meet criteria including evidence of use by bathers and access to facilities such as nearby toilets.
Water quality is generally better at coastal sites than in rivers, where pollution can come from sewage discharges and agricultural run-off. Officials at the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs told the BBC that freshwater sites are harder to bring up to bathing standards because rivers have less dilution and natural purification than the sea.
Announcing the new sites, Water Minister Emma Hardy said the additions would mean “better monitoring of our waterways, a boost for local tourism, and greater confidence for local swimmers.”
Water companies have warned that designation can confuse the public if a site is listed before it is suitable for bathing. Water UK, which represents the industry, told the BBC that designating a bathing water without a cleanup plan “risks confusing the public, who will rightly believe it is safe to swim there.”
Campaigners, meanwhile, argue that designation has become one of the clearest ways to force more testing and pressure water companies to reduce sewage spills. The River Wharfe at Ilkley in Yorkshire, the first river bathing site designated in 2020, has continued to receive a poor rating, though Yorkshire Water says it is carrying out a £60m programme aimed at reducing sewage entering the river.
The immediate public health advice remains site-specific: where a river bathing site is rated poor, signs advise people to stay out of the water while monitoring continues through the bathing season.
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