For the first time, a dataset of recreational water use in England is published – highlighting 3,347 location in England where there’s evidence of recreational water use.
This study used data from 17 organisations and platforms — including Surfers Against Sewage, Paddle UK, British Triathlon, the Royal Yachting Association, Surfing England, the Rivers Trust, and Swim England — to share insights on recreational water use across England, from locations where people reported getting sick to sites hosting official triathlons.
More people are jumping in, paddling out, and pushing for cleaner waters — not just at the 451 official bathing spots, but everywhere we swim, surf, row, and paddle. With new river sites gaining bathing status for the first time and a consultation under way to recognise all kinds of water users, it’s time to map the full picture of where the nation gets in the water.
The study identified 3,347 recreational water sites across England. Of these, 1,233 were high-confidence locations confirmed by multiple data sources — including 917 swimming sites.
In total, 1,727 sites were reported as swimming locations. Wild swimming was found to cluster in National Parks and Landscapes where waterside access is greatest.
Inland freshwater sites dominated the picture, with 2,521 identified — almost three times the number of coastal or estuarine sites (826). This contrasts sharply with England’s official bathing water designations, which remain largely coastal, with only a handful of inland locations.
The importance of recreational waters
We are a nation of water users. Surfers, swimmers, paddle boarders, kayakers – you name it, year round we do it! And this study reflects just that. But current regulation does not.
Bathing waters are vital in protecting the health of water users as they are only stretches of beaches, rivers and lakes that are monitored for pollutants. Over the last 30 years, hundreds of coastal sites – including many of our favourite beaches – have been designated. This has led to huge improvements to the water quality in the places where we swim, surf and paddle. But, the way in which they are designated and regulated poses some challenges.
We know that the “bathing season” (mid-May to September) doesn’t represent when people are getting in the water and we know that people access the water year round. This means that people are at risk when get in the water outside of the official season as this is the only time that water quality is monitored.
In addition, when the Government looks at designating bathing waters, they will only count swimmers (bathers) when they decide whether if the site is well used or not. Everyone who is not a “bather” simply would not count. We know that this is a completely unrealistic representation of how people are using our waterways and everyone who swims, paddles, surfs, kayaks deserves to be protected as well.
This study from the EA, is proof (as if we needed it) that people are getting in to surf, swim, paddle and boat all year-round, with recreational activity being identified outside of the presently designated season. Best of all – this study has stats that proves its not just “bathers” that are enjoying the water!
For the first time in over a decade, The Government has announced that it was looking at reforming the Bathing Water Regulations. Buried in some of the mixed bag of plans is a glimmer of hope for the designation process. There is a chance that they will recognise recreational water users, rather than just bathers in the application process. This is incredibly exciting and so important. We absolutely need them to push through on plans to recognise recreational water users. There are dozens of potential bathing waters across the UK that are being neglected due to the current legislation.
However, its not all good news. One proposed change is updating the criteria for designating a body of water as a bathing site, by considering the feasibility of improving a site’s water quality in an effort to “avoid poor value for money”. This reform could result in popular bathing sites, which include rivers, beaches and lakes where people swim and paddle, being left unmonitored and unprotected. Water companies getting away with polluting, regulators letting them get away with not fixing the problem and significantly risking public health.
What are our demands?
Here are the five key changes to the Bathing Water Regulations SAS are calling for:
1. Extend bathing water season to cover the full year.
As surfers, swimmers, paddleboarders, we know the water isn’t just for summer. Cold water dipping is increasingly popular, and more people are braving the water in winter than ever before. But whether you dip in December or June, you deserve to know the risks you face all year round – not just in the summer months. We need the bathing season to be extended to the full year. This will force regulators to test the water quality of our well-loved spots year-round, and consider this when assessing its quality.
2. Overhaul testing regime to include other pollutants and real-time monitoring.
Did you know that anyone using the water is exposed to a huge range of contaminants – including heavy metals, microplastics, chemicals and anti-microbial resistant bacteria. Currently, not all of these are monitored at bathing water sites. So water users simply do not know the all risks they face when entering the water. We’re also dependent on weekly testing through the summer season to give us some understanding of the risks we face when jumping in. But the water quality can vary hugely on an hourly basis. That’s why we’re calling for real-time monitoring of popular spots, for a much broader range of pollutants.
3. Include all water users when designating a bathing site.
Currently, the bathing water designation process only considers “bathers” (swimmers) as the people using the water. But we’re a watersport-loving nation. Surfing, kayaking and paddleboarding has boomed recently; not to mention anglers, sailors, and other water lovers. Bathing water regulations need to reflect, and protect, all recreational water users. We’re demanding change.
4. Overhaul approach to de-designation.
If a designated site is deemed to have ‘Poor’ water quality for five consecutive years, it loses its designated status and is no longer monitored. But it takes time to assess the water quality of a site, identify the sources of pollution and take action to clean it up. Five years simply isn’t enough time for actual improvement. And these are popular spots that swimmers and other waters will continue to use. If they’re badly polluted, they need more investment and protection – not less.
5. End disregarding samples and Short-Term Pollution (STP) provisions.
The current water quality testing regime within the Bathing Water legislation is willfully discounting the worst pollution events in the country. And it’s misleading the public about the safety of the waters. In the UK, the testing regime allows up to 15% of testing results per bathing site to be disregarded. Not only that, but short-term pollution (STP) events can also be disregarded in the current legislation. These STPs are often high levels of sewage pollution or agricultural runoff. Every result, from every water quality test, provides insight into the water health of a swim spot. So every result should be included when assessing the overall quality of a bathing water. We want to see an end to the regulator disregarding samples. Instead, regulators should use all the data available to provide the most transparent assessment of bathing water quality.
Demand change to protect our wild waters
More and more communities are applying for bathing water designation. And having supported a large number of these groups, we know this regulation reform is vital to fully protect our favourite blue spaces.
This would allow for inland and coastal bathing waters to be protected in a way that actually reflects how, when and how we use the water. It would make it easier for communities to apply for protections for the blue spaces they love. And it would encourage an increase in the number of wild waters protected.
