Four New English Swimming Spots Get Bathing Water Status
Get ready for a splash! Four fresh swimming spots in Rutland, Plymouth, and Suffolk will officially gain bathing water status from May. This means these popular sites will now get regular water quality checks just in time for summer.
New Sites Join Record-Breaking List
Water Minister Rebecca Pow revealed today (April 10) that Sykes Lane Bathing Beach and Whitwell Creek at Rutland Water, Firestone Bay in Plymouth, and a stretch of the River Deben at Waldringfield in Suffolk are set to be formally designated as bathing waters ahead of the 2023 season. This boosts England’s total to 424 bathing waters — the highest number ever recorded.
The Environment Agency will monitor water quality regularly at these new spots during the bathing season, which runs from 15 May to 30 September. They work with local communities, farmers, and water companies to keep pollution low and water safe.
Bathing Water Quality Hits All-Time High
Since 2010, England has made huge strides in water cleanliness. The share of bathing waters rated “good” or “excellent” soared from 76% to 93%, with 72% now considered “excellent.” This comes despite stricter standards introduced in 2015.
“These popular swimming spots will now undergo regular monitoring, starting this May, so bathers have up-to-date information on the quality of the water,” said Rebecca Pow.
“We now have more bathing waters than ever, and we’ve worked hard in recent years to boost their status. Our new Plan for Water will help us go further and faster on our targets.”
Government’s Push for Cleaner Waters
The new designations follow the government’s recent Plan for Water and the Environmental Improvement Plan, which aims for everyone to live within a 15-minute walk of nature, including clean bathing waters.
To earn the status, sites must meet strict criteria around usage, facilities like toilets, and potential for water quality improvements.
Big Moves to Tackle Pollution
The Government has launched a series of tough measures to protect bathing waters nationwide:
- Setting strict targets for water companies. Their £56 billion, 25-year Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan is the biggest water infrastructure project in history.
- Boosting monitoring of sewage discharges from just 5% in 2016 to nearly 90% in 2021 — aiming for full coverage this year—with near real-time public data.
- Working with farmers to cut nutrient pollution through new farming reforms and expanding Environment Agency farm inspections to 4,000 a year.
- Cracking down hard on polluters: fines exceeding £144 million since 2015, with penalties reinvested into environmental projects.
The new bathing water status means swimmers can enjoy safer, cleaner waters while the Government keeps pushing to raise standards even higher.
