Concerns over Bathing Water reforms as season starts - Marine Conservation Society

We're concerned new reforms could potentially undermine the spirit of the Bathing Water Regulations to protect the health of water users.

As the official Bathing Water season begins on 15th May in England and Wales, we're raising serious concerns about UK and Welsh Government plans to reform Bathing Water Regulations. Without changes, these reforms could threaten public health, reduce the number of newly designated bathing sites and fail to address current concerns over sampling.

Issues with the water quality assessments

In England, our research has revealed that 103 water samples were excluded from water quality assessments during the 2024 Bathing Season. These samples, taken during short-term pollution events or ‘abnormal situations’, are currently permitted to be removed from final classifications under existing rules in England. Whilst water users at the time are informed of the pollution, it means that samples with some of the highest levels of pollution are being ignored in categorising Bathing Waters as ‘Excellent’, ‘Good’, ‘Sufficient’ or ‘Poor’. This practice could mask the true level of pollution, risking the health of swimmers and other water users.

The UK and Welsh Governments consulted on a number of reforms to the Bathing Season in England and Wales late last year. Whilst we welcome some of the reforms, such as plans to explore expanding the definition of a ‘bather’ to include all water users (including surfers, kayakers and paddlers), there is concern that the response from UK and Welsh Governments fails to address key risks, including sampling.

What we're calling for

We're calling for any site that is well-used recreationally to be designated as a Bathing Water, and sampling practices reviewed as soon as possible. Timeframes must also be set for delivery of wider reforms, to ensure that all water users are protected, not just swimmers.