The government has announced reforms which it says will modernise “outdated” regulations around bathing water quality, and will “keep pace with Britain’s love of swimming”. The system for monitoring the more than 550 designated, outdoor, swimming sites in England and Wales will be updated for the first time since 2013 following a public consultation.

The changes included getting rid of fixed bathing seasons which means more flexibility around the times water is tested and introducing multiple monitoring points at each bathing location. It also said it was expanding the definition of a bather to include those taking part in water sports like surfing, paddleboarding and kayaking. Water minister Emma Hardy said “safety and cleanliness is paramount, and we must go further and faster to open up our waterways for families to enjoy”.

Photo description: Swimmer wearing a green cap and goggles doing front crawl in outdoor waters. Photo by mali maeder / Pexels.

Emma Hardy and Environment Secretary Steve Reed have just completed the nationwide ‘Things Can Only Get Cleaner’ water tour by Defra Ministers. The North Cave Wetlands nature reserve was the final location marking the end of a week-long series of separate visits by Environment Secretary and Minister Hardy to iconic water sites such as Windermere, the River Wye and Havant Thicket – England’s first new reservoir in over 30 years.