Water quality has been designated as poor in a record number of bathing areas this year after 16 rivers were included in summer testing for harmful bacteria, figures reveal.
The push to clean up England’s rivers has led to an increase in demand for bathing water status at river locations across the country. Rivers suffer from water company sewage pollution and agricultural pollution, and the results show river water quality is distinctly worse than that of coastal bathing sites. The results come after sewage pollution into rivers by water companies reached record levels last year.
This year, 16 river areas were designated as bathing water sites out 27 new areas, which meant they were tested for harmful bacteria, E coli and intestinal enterococci.
Across the country, 450 locations have bathing water status and are tested during the summer season, from May to September. This year a record number of areas – 37, or 8.2% – did not meet the minimum standards for bathing waters, and were classified as poor.
Of the 27 new bathing water sites tested, 18 were classified as having “poor” water quality, most of which were rivers. There was a marked difference between river areas and coastal waters, with 95% of coastal waters meeting minimum standards, compared with just over half – 53% – of inland sites.
There was also a drop in the percentage of locations given the top status of excellent – 64.2%, or 289 locations,compared with about 72% in the previous two years.
Some coastal results were stark – beaches in Blackpool and at Weston-super-Mare were all deemed to have only sufficient or poor water quality.
Four years’ worth of data is used to make a water quality classification, allowing the tests to identify trends and target appropriate pollution prevention measures.
Emma Hardy, the water minister, said: “These figures are unacceptable and show that too many of our popular swimming spots are polluted. That’s why we are placing water companies under special measures through the water bill, which will strengthen regulation including new powers to ban the payment of bonuses for polluting water bosses and bring criminal charges against persistent lawbreakers.”
The government is consulting on changing bathing water regulations, with proposals to include testing throughout the year rather than just in the so-called swimming season.
River locations with water quality designated as poor because of an excess of harmful bacteria include the newly designated Sheep’s Green area on the River Cam in Cambridge, the River Avon at Fordingbridge, Hampshire, the River Dart estuary at Steamer Quay, Devon, the River Tone in Taunton, the River Frome at Farleigh Hungerford, the River Teme in Ludlow, the River Severn in Shrewsbury, the River Severn at Ironbridge and the River Wharfe at Ilkley.
The Wharfe was the first river to be given bathing water status four years ago and despite years of action from campaigners, water quality is still poor.
Becky Malby of the campaign group Ilkley Clean River said there was now hope that the water quality would improve at the location.
“Ilkley is on the cusp of securing an improved water system that will ensure our river is fit for people and wildlife,” she said. “Last year Yorkshire Water put in a huge new sewer to divert sewage from the bathing site to the sewage works. But to clean up the whole area we need better infrastructure.
“Ofwat has approved the funding, Yorkshire Water has made a plan for new storage tanks, an integrated wetland and better treatment of our sewage. We now wait for the Environment Agency to approve the plan so that our sewage can be treated and our river water quality can change from poor quality to sufficient in a few more years.”
She said it was shocking that the basic infrastructure to clean up rivers was taking so long. “The inability of the water companies and regulators to recognise the pollution sources, and to put plans in place with any semblance of haste despite years of public outrage is disgraceful,” she said.
The only two designated bathing water sites on the River Thames both had poor water quality, the results show. Wolvercote Mill Stream in Oxford, which was designated as a bathing water site in April 2022, has been classified as poor overall as it had high levels of E coli and intestinal enterococci.
Wallingford Beach on the Thames was newly designated this year and also received a poor rating due to spikes of bacteria in two of the 19 water samples taken.
The charity Thames21 is calling for more urgent action. Claire Robertson, the Oxford rivers project officer for the charity, said: “We want to see much clearer targets and plans from the Environment Agency as to how they are going to improve the water quality at Wolvercote and Wallingford, and in the Thames in general.”
If sites are consistently given poor ratings for five years, they are dedesignated – a rule that removes the incentive for water companies to clean up the water, Robertson said.
Giles Bristow, the chief executive of Surfers Against Sewage, said the bathing water regime needed radical reform. “The consultation to reform the regulations is vital and must deliver a year-round bathing season, with year-round testing. We need multiple monitoring points, and testing for a wide range of pollutants.”
