Where we swim, surf, paddle and play

Show us where you enjoy using the water across the UK to help better protect people and waterways.

Our waterways are not being monitored often enough or where it’s really needed.

And we need your help!

The water usage map

You can help influence change by evidencing when and how you use your local waterway.

Each time you take a dip in your local lake, have a surf or fish in your river, you can log it on the map using the form on this page. Whether your swim, surf or paddle spot is an official bathing water or not, we want to hear from you.

It will take just a minute of your time.

Why it matters

Our waterways are used all year by many recreational water users. But bathing waters are only monitored for up to 20 weeks a year in the bathing season for England and Wales, and up to 15 weeks for Scotland and Northern Ireland. And when the government designate new bathing waters they only consider swimmers and not any other water users.

We know we are a nation of surfers, paddleboarders and kayakers. But these water users are not protected under the current legislation. At Surfers Against Sewage, we’re demanding that the bathing water legislation is reformed. Our bathing waters need to be monitored year-round and all recreational water users considered.

Campaign community and toolkit

If your local waterway isn’t a bathing water, join our Projecting Wild Waters community. We can help you apply for bathing water status, to ensure the water quality is monitored and kickstart improvements to water quality.

Add to the map:

Add to the map:

Kirsty Davies (she / her)

Community Water Quality Manager

I provide support to communities to apply for bathing water designation alongside Community Water Quality Officer, Lizzie, on our Protecting Wild Waters campaign. Bathing waters are vital in protecting the health of water users and improving the water quality of our well-loved stretches of rivers, lakes and beaches. It’s within my role I also work with communities at policy level to drive the changes required to our legislation to ensure it’s fit for purpose.

I also work on on our Citizen Science programme which provides communities with the guidance, tools and equipment to investigate water quality issues at their rivers, lakes and beaches.