‘It’s a disaster’: drought measure to suck water from River Wharfe met with anger

A local campaign group is furious over plans to draw water from the Wharfe in response to the severe drought of recent months. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

With its pebble beach and shallow areas for paddling, the River Wharfe at Ilkley has long been a popular swimming location in the pretty Yorkshire town. But plagued by sewage and agricultural runoff, the river has been designated as “poor” quality, and a sign has been put up warning people against bathing in it. And now, the health of the river has been put further at risk with emergency drought plans by Yorkshire Water to suck water from it to top up its reservoirs.

A drive by campaigners and wild swimmers led it in 2021 to be the first in the country to get designated bathing status – meaning the government tests it for the harmful E coli and intestinal enterococci bacteria.