Bathing water quality tests could be extended to water sports

Plans are being considered to change the way bathing water quality is monitored and tested in England and Wales.

Currently, bathing waters are officially designated outdoor swimming sites. England and Wales have more than 550 designated bathing waters, which are monitored by the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales. Annual ratings classify each site as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’ on the basis of water quality.

The proposed changes include expanding the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, including paddle boarders and surfers.

Other changes include introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites and the removal of fixed bathing water season dates (which currently runs from May to September) from the regulations to allow for a more flexible approach to monitoring.

Ben Seal, Head of Access and Environment at Paddle UK, on behalf of the Clean Water Sports Alliance said: “Access to clean, healthy, nature-rich blue spaces is crucial to the health and wellbeing of millions of people around the UK.

“We are a water sports nation, however, as a result of the recent sewage scandals, the public have become increasingly fearful of getting sick, doing the activity they love.”