Staycationers urged to become #WaterWarriors this summer

Staycationers urged to become #WaterWarriors this summer - Environment Agency

Make the right choices when visiting beaches, rivers and lakes this summer.

Record numbers expected to holiday at home this summer
Visitors urged to ‘know before you go’ to blue spaces
Check water quality before taking the plunge

Sampling officer with water sample taken from Lepe beach in Hampshire (Environment Agency)

Staycationers are being urged to become #WaterWarriors and make the right choices when visiting beaches, rivers and lakes this summer in a new Environment Agency campaign launched today (Tuesday 27 July).

Record numbers are expected to holiday at home due to ongoing coronavirus uncertainties, with an estimated 30 million people expected to visit our beaches (source: RNLI), and still more visiting rivers and lakes across the country.

Many will flock to popular English beaches and lakes designated as bathing waters to swim and enjoy the country’s blue spaces.

Visitors are being encouraged to ‘know before you go’ by checking the Environment Agency’s Swimfo website, which provides instant, easy access to information on over 400 bathing waters in England, including the latest water quality classification – and, for some bathing waters, when warnings are issued due to the temporary effects on water quality after a rainy day or high tides. Having this information at the fingertips ensures people have the most up-to-date information before they take the plunge.

Joint advice with Public Health England is also available on open water swimming – that’s swimming anywhere that isn’t a public pool - at Swim healthy.

Staycationers are also being encouraged to consider how their actions, whether at home or on holiday, can affect water quality and to remember a few simple actions they can take to protect blue spaces for everyone:

only flush the 3Ps – pee, poo and paper
never pour fats and oils down the sink 
never flush wet wipes and sanitary products down the loo 
always take your rubbish away from the beach 
always bag and bin your dog’s poo 
never pour waste liquids or throw litter down surface water drains