The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh Government have today launched a new consultation on proposals to reform the Bathing Water Regulations 2013.

In the first shake up in over a decade, the public, community and environmental groups, farmers, businesses and local authorities are being invited to share their views on modernising bathing water regulations.

Proposed changes to bathing water rules will prioritise public safety and water quality - reforms include removing fixed season dates from regulations and improved water quality measures. The consultation is also seeking views on proposed technical amendments, as well as potential upcoming reforms on the definition of ‘bathers’ and the introduction of multiple monitoring points at bathing sites

Bathing waters are officially designated outdoor swimming sites - England and Wales have over 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.

Defra and the Welsh government are seeking comments on proposals for modernising bathing water regulations to ensure a more flexible approach to designation and monitoring.

The proposed changes, which will benefit cold water swimmers and other water sports enthusiasts, include:

• 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, extending the dates of the bathing season to better reflect when people use bathing waters.
• Expanding the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include participants in water sports other than swimming, including paddle boarders and surfers.
• Further considering water quality and public safety when applications for new bathing waters are assessed.
• Introducing multiple testing points at bathing water sites.
• Ending the automatic de-designation of bathing water status after 5 consecutive years of a site being rated ‘poor’, which can damage local tourism and businesses. Instead, underperforming sites will be individually reviewed by regulators, taking into account their unique circumstances.

Water Minister Emma Hardy said:

“Bathing water sites are the pride of local communities across the country.

“But the current system is not working for all those who use and enjoy our bathing waters, and reform is long overdue.

“That is why this Government will give more people the opportunity to experience the benefits of our beautiful waters and connect with nature.”

Mark Lloyd, Chief Executive of The Rivers Trust commented:

“We welcome these proposed reforms to the Bathing Water rules, several of which we and other NGOs have been requesting for some time.

“We are particularly pleased to see the ending of automatic de-designation for waters which failed to meet standards after 5 years – the focus must be on driving improvements in our natural environment and not giving up when it gets hard.

“We will be urging Ministers to make the new system more transparent and to include a wider range of pollutants that can cause risks to public health. We hope that applications for new designations can open again in the Spring without any further delay.”

Gail Davies-Walsh, CEO of Afonydd Cymru, said:

“The review will need to give consideration to the extent that the current designation for Bathing Water, primarily designed for coastal waters, meets the different needs of our rivers including microbiological quality, levels of other potentially harmful pollutants, monitoring, public safety and damage or disturbance to flora and fauna, particularly for designated rivers.”

Chris Coode, CEO of Thames21, added:

“We welcome the government’s announcement to reform the Bathing Water Regulations. This is a crucial step towards improving water quality and the health of our rivers, especially in the areas we cover across London and the Thames Basin.

“Extending the dates of the bathing season and having a flexible approach to monitoring will generate valuable data, helping people to decide on whether they want to use their local river on any given day. We are also pleased with the government’s proposals to broaden the legal definition of ‘bathers’ to include other water lovers, not just swimmers.

“We look forward to playing our part in this consultation by contributing evidence alongside other key stakeholders. Additionally, we hope that the government will recognise the work of countless communities, groups and volunteers who have applied or plan to apply for bathing water designation and hope that the shortcomings of the bathing water application process are resolved.”

The consultation on proposed reforms and technical amendments to the Bathing Water Regulations 2013 will run for six weeks and closes at 11:59pm on 23 December 2024. Click here to access the consultation online