An application for bathing water status at a popular wild swimming spot won't be supported by Bristol City Council.
Earlier this year, new signs were put up at Conham River Park on the River Avon warning people against taking a dip as the area is dangerous. This came as a group of campaigners is trying to achieve the "designated bathing water status" - which would see the water monitored for harmful bacteria - in the area.
Conham Bathing said in a statement that it had conducted a public survey and, after receiving more than 900 responses, a total of 98.1 per cent said they would support regular water quality monitoring at the site. It said: "In order to submit the official bathing water application to Defra, the group requires landowner support, which in this case is the council. Until the bye-laws are changed, this won’t be possible.
Read more: Wild swimmers banned from popular Bristol spot due to 'environmental hazards'
"While the council’s decision is a major disappointment for the group, it will continue its efforts without official support. Conham Bathing’s active monitoring programme, which is continuing this summer, not only shares the bacteriological information that the Environment Agency would provide, but it goes beyond this to look at other indicators of river health, including nitrates and phosphates, which can threaten wildlife.
"Furthermore, the near real-time sewage alerts represent an important breakthrough, and would not necessarily have been achieved with official bathing water status. The members of Conham Bathing hope that their efforts to protect this historic bathing site, which has been enjoyed by locals for generations, demonstrates the impact that community-driven initiatives can have, even if they do not receive official support."
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “The stretch of river all the way up to Hanham Lock, including Conham River Park, is covered by our 2009 Byelaws under which swimming is prohibited and there is a right to navigation. We are therefore unable to support the application for bathing water status at this time, which would encourage prohibited activity and carry significant risk from boats on the waterways. We are actively working towards introducing safe, managed and segregated swimming to the harbourside that can be kept free of boats and is subject to additional water sampling.”
An Environment Agency spokesperson said: “Bathing water designation will enable us to assess what action is needed to improve water quality to meet the standards set by the Bathing Water Regulations. To make rivers fit for bathing requires action from us all to reduce sources of potential pollution.
“Rivers and other open water locations that are not designated as bathing waters are managed for the purpose of protecting fish and wildlife, not people, so health risks from using these locations may be higher than at designated bathing waters.
“The EA carries out around 90,000 water quality sampling visits a year from 13,000 different locations so we can see what is happening in England’s waters. Visitors to coastal and inland swimming spots have over 400 bathing waters to choose from and can find out more information of the Environment Agency’s ‘Swimfo’ website. They can also access the pollution risk forecasting service through our water quality website."
Read next:
- People 'puking up all day' after swimming in Bristol waters amid rise in norovirus
- Beese's riverside bar in Bristol reopening in April for 2022 season
- Stunning wild swimming spots near Bristol
- Wild swimmer's river water warning after friend almost drowns in Bristol
- The 12 rivers of Bristol - the city's hidden gems of nature
