Bathing Water Quality Is Up… But Is This The Full Story?

Water quantity and water quality alike must be taken into consideration when discussing the water crisis as a whole and it is essential to put measures in place that both ensure sufficient resources for the future and which prevent industrial-scale pollution, as well.

New figures from the Environment Agency show that 87 per cent of bathing waters across England are now classified as Excellent or Good, which is an improvement on 2024 – but this may perhaps be somewhat misleading, encouraging people to think that much of the hard work has now been done where water quality is concerned.

Rivers Trust data, for example, shows that this may not actually be the case.

In fact, just 15 per cent of rivers in England meet good ecological health standards, with pollution coming from a range of different sources and putting waterways, ecosystems, biodiversity and human health at significant risk.

As the Environment Agency explains, each bathing water site faces its own pressures and there are many different factors that can influence water quality, including specific local issues, agricultural runoff and storm overflow use.

Chair of the agency Alan Lovell commented on these latest figures, saying: “Bathing water quality in England has improved significantly over recent decades and this year’s results show the continued impact of strong regulation, investment and partnership working.

“But we know there is more to do, and the new bathing water reforms will strengthen the way these much-loved places are managed.

“The Environment Agency is working closely with Defra to ensure these changes are implemented effectively whilst our teams continue to work with water companies, farmers, councils and local groups to tackle all sources of pollution and support continued progress across sites.”

How is UK water quality tested?

All designated bathing water sites are tested for bacteria like e.coli and intestinal enterococci that pose a risk to health.

Samples are taken by the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency, and then tested at a specialist lab within 24 hours.

The good news is that much progress has been made in improving water quality in the UK. In the 90s, just 27 per cent of bathing water sites would have been classified as sufficient (meeting minimum standards for quality).

Today, this is true for 98 per cent of bathing water sites… but there is still work to be done.

According to Surfers Against Sewage, the UK is ranked at the bottom of 30 European countries for its bathing site water quality – and this doesn’t take into account the state of the nation’s rivers, with just 15 per cent meeting good ecological standards.

There are currently only two designated bathing water sites to be found along river lengths, which means that almost no water quality testing is conducted on rivers, canals and streams.

In 2021, Surfers Against Sewage citizen scientists tested river water quality and found that three out of four would be classified as poor, posing serious risks to human health.

The charity recommends that real-time water quality monitoring is implemented so that people have a clearer idea of what conditions waterways are actually in.

Loopholes in testing regimes must also be removed, they continue. For example, regulators can currently discount one in seven samples taken if a short-term atypical pollution event has taken place, including sewage pollution.

Because of this loophole, it was estimated in 2019 that 65 bathing waters in England were given a higher classification than they should have been.

10 fast facts about water pollution in the UK

Figures from the Earthwatch UK WaterBlitz report show:

• 60 per cent of data points have poor water quality, with nutrient pollution levels considered unacceptable
• England has the worst water quality over four reports, with 66 per cent of sites demonstrating unacceptable pollution levels
• The Thames river basin district has the worst water quality of them all

The Environment Agency’s Environmental Performance Assessment 2024 report shows:

• Water suppliers achieved 19 stars out of 36 for environmental performance, the lowest ratings since 2011
• Serious pollution incidents causing significant environmental harm are up 60 per cent on 2023
• Of the 449 sites tested regularly, 93 per cent met minimum bacterial level standards, up from 92 per cent
• Three water companies are responsible for 81 per cent of  of serious pollution incidents: Thames Water, Southern Water and Yorkshire Water

A University of York study into forever chemical levels in rivers shows:

• Some of the highest levels of forever chemicals ever recorded
• Trifluoroacetic acid (used in household items) was found in 98 per cent of 54 sites around the UK
• Rivers in North Yorkshire are among the worst affected

What are the new bathing water regulation reforms?

To help address the issue of bathing site water quality, the government brought in new regulation reforms on November 21st, with the aim being to change the more uniform approach previously adopted and more accurately reflect how beaches, lakes and rivers are used.

Reforms include:

• Bathing water status will no longer be automatically removed after five consecutive years of Poor ratings. Instead, struggling sites will be reviewed to identify the water quality issues and work towards making improvements
• More flexibility to monitoring dates will be introduced so that testing can be adapted to suit specific sites, matching when people actually use the water
• New criteria for bathing water sites will be implemented in May 2026, allowing guidance to be fully developed

How can businesses help improve water quality?

Prioritising water stewardship in the new year would be an excellent resolution to make for any business keen to become more environmentally responsible over time.

There are many ways in which water quality can be protected, including preventing pollution at source, changing your working processes and procedures to use fewer toxic materials during manufacturing, water recycling systems, nature-based solutions and onsite sewage treatment facilities.

However, first you need to know how and where you’re using water so you can identify the best ways in which you can make an immediate impact. This is where water audits come into their own.

If you’d like to find out more about the benefits of this and what can be achieved where water conservation is concerned, get in touch with the Switch Water Supplier team today.